black pepper
Piper nigrum · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (1451 studies) · ★★★★★
Black pepper, scientifically known as Piper nigrum, is a perennial climbing vine celebrated globally as the "king of spices." Beyond its culinary warmth, this medicinal plant offers potent bioactive compounds like piperine, which possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and digestive properties, making it a cornerstone in traditional Ayurvedic and holistic healing.
Names
Common Names
- black pepper
- black pepper
- white pepper
- pepper
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- pimienta
German:
- Pfeffer
- Pfeffer
French:
- poivre
- poivre
- poivre blanc
- poivre noir
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Piper nigrumSynonyms
- Piper nigrum var. trioicum
- Piper malabarense
- Muldera multinervis
- Piper glabrispica
- Muldera wightiana
- Piper nigrum var. hirtellosum
- Piper nigricans
- Piper denudatum
- Piper colonum
- Piper laxum
- Piper trioicum
- Piper glyphicum
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Piperales, it is classified under the family Piperaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Piper, specifically the species Piper nigrum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Piperales | WCVP |
| Family | Piperaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Piper | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant, Piper nigrum, exhibits a diverse distribution across several key tropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted in both Benin and Guinea. The species also extends into West-Central Tropical Africa, specifically inhabiting Cameroon and the islands of the Gulf of Guinea. Furthermore, its range reaches into Northeast Tropical Africa within the borders of Ethiopia. Collectively, these locations highlight the plant's preference for various tropical African climates.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Mauritius | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Réunion | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Seychelles | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known commonly as black pepper, utilizes various components for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The most widely recognized part is the dried fruit, which is harvested once the drupes reach maturity. Within these small fruits, the essential oils and piperine are concentrated, primarily located in the tiny seeds found inside. While the seed itself is the primary source of its pungent properties, the leaf is also used in some traditional practices to create infusions or topical applications.| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| fruit | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| fruits | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| seeds | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaves | Inflammopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Seeds | Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fruit extract | Urology journal (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| herbs | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| rhizomes | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Piper nigrum has 300 reported phytochemicals identified across 27 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include piperine, LIMONENE, Pellitorine, Tannins, piperettine.
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| piperine | Dr. Duke (and other 35 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| LIMONENE | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Pellitorine | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Tannins | Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| piperettine | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| 1-Piperoylpiperidine | Planta medica (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Caryophyllene | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Germacrene D | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Linalool | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Piper nigrum has 747 reported activities identified across 27 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Neuroprotective, Antitumor, Hepatoprotective.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 13 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Antitumor | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antihistaminic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Current topics in medicinal chemistry (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Piper nigrum has 84 reported medicinal uses identified across 27 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include oxidative stress, COVID-19, Alzheimer's disease, malaria, cancer.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| oxidative stress | Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity (and other 7 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| COVID-19 | Protein and peptide letters (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| malaria | Journal of tropical medicine (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| cancer | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| dyslipidemia | Pharmaceutical biology (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| pain | Journal of pain research (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer disease | International journal of preventive medicine (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| allergic rhinitis | Toxicology mechanisms and methods (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| obesity | Pharmaceutical biology (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| extracts | Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| essential oils | The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| plant extracts | International journal of biological macromolecules (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Clear belongs Plus extract (CBL-P) | BMC complementary medicine and therapies (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Extracts | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hydro-ethanolic (1:4) extract of Piper nigrum leaves (PNLE) | Inflammopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Jwarahara Kwatha Choornam | Scientific reports (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Kleeb Bua Daeng | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methanol extracts | Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Piper nigrum fruit extract | Urology journal (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |