Ethiopian-pepper
Xylopia aethiopica · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (240 studies) · ★★★★★
Ethiopian-pepper, scientifically known as Xylopia aethiopica, is a versatile medicinal shrub native to tropical Africa. Renowned for its aromatic seeds, it serves as a vital component in traditional medicine. It is widely utilized for its antimicrobial, analgesic, and digestive properties, offering significant therapeutic potential in treating various ailments.
Names
Common Names
- Ethiopian-pepper
- negro-pepper
- spicetree
- Grains of Selim
- Ethiopian pepper
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- maniguete
- pimienta de Guinea
German:
- Mohrenpfeffer
- Mohrenpfeffer
French:
- poivre de Guinée
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Xylopia aethiopicaSynonyms
- Habzelia aethiopica
- Annona aethiopica
- Unona aethiopica
- Xylopia dekeyzeriana
- Xylopia eminii
- Xylopia gilletii
- Uvaria aethiopica
- Xylopicrum aethiopicum
- Uvaria eminii
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Magnoliales, it falls into the family Annonaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Xylopia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Magnoliales | WCVP |
| Family | Annonaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Xylopia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant is widely distributed across various regions of West Tropical Africa. Specifically, it can be found growing in the country of Benin. Its presence is also documented within the borders of Burkina Faso. Furthermore, the species inhabits parts of Gambia and Ghana. Finally, the geographical range extends to the nation of Guinea-Bissau.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Niger coast nutmeg, utilizes various components for its medicinal properties. The fruits are often harvested for their aromatic qualities, and within each fruit, one can find the potent seeds. These seeds, or the individual seed found inside, are frequently used in traditional remedies due to their concentrated bioactive compounds. Additionally, the stem bark is highly valued in herbal medicine, offering a different set of therapeutic benefits compared to the flavorful fruits and their contents.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| fruit | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 9 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| seed | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Xylopia aethiopica has 30 reported phytochemicals identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Xylopic acid, Flavonoids, Tannins, Crebanine, DPPH.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Xylopic acid | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Tannins | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Crebanine | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| DPPH | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| EO | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| FAT | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Isotetrandrine | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Lanuginosine | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Xylopic acid
- Dr. Duke
- BMC complementary medicine and therapies
- Lloydia
Flavonoids
- Frontiers in nutrition
- Acta parasitologica
Tannins
- Frontiers in nutrition
- Acta parasitologica
Crebanine
- Dr. Duke
DPPH
- Heliyon
EO
- Dr. Duke
FAT
- Dr. Duke
Flavonoid
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
Isotetrandrine
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
Lanuginosine
- Dr. Duke
Activities
Xylopia aethiopica has 139 reported activities identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antimicrobial.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Heliyon (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-HT-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AHH-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ATPase-Stimulant | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Abortifacient | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acetylcholinergic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Xylopia aethiopica has 33 reported medicinal uses identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, leukemia, oxidative stress, Bacillus subtilis, Cancer.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| cancer | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leukemia | Cell division (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative stress | Acta biologica Hungarica (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacillus subtilis | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cancer | Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida albicans | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HepG2 cells | Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium falciparum | Phytochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Staphylococcus aureus | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| essential oils | Journal of food science (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| extracts | Metabolites (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Extracts | Heliyon (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cameroonian medicinal spice extracts | Nutrients (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Erunje (Fruit) | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ethanolic Extract | JBRA assisted reproduction (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methanol extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Seeds and fruits | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| XA-HE fractions | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Xylopia aethiopica extract | JBRA assisted reproduction (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |