Black Pepper

Botanical name – Piper nigrum Linn.

Family – Piperaceae

Common names –

English – Black pepper

Hindi – Kali Mirch

Sanskrit – Marich

Parts used – Fruits

Distribution

• Pepper originated in the hills of South Western India. Although pepper was found cultivated in Indonesia as early as the 13th Century and in Sri Lanka and Cambodia in the 18th Century, India remained as the centre of pepper cultivation till the early 19th Century when large number of pepper holdings were established in Malaysia and later in Brazil.
• Black pepper is native to the Western Ghats of Kerala State in India, where it grows wild in the mountains. It is cultivated all over the tropics as a commercial crop. Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil and India are the major producers of Black Pepper.
• Pepper is native to the Western Ghats of Kerala State, India, where it still occurs wild in the mountains. Pepper reached South‑East Asia as early as 100 BC, brought by Hindu colonists migrating from India to Indonesia and other countries. In about 1930, Japanese immigrants who had travelled through South‑East Asia introduced the plant into Para State of northern Brazil, where it became a major crop.
• In India, Indonesia and Malaysia, there is a long‑established tradition of commercial cultivation by smallholders. The main areas of production in Indonesia are Lampung, Bangka and East and West Kalimantan, together accounting for 95% of the crop.
• Pepper originated in the hills of South Western India. Although pepper was found cultivated in Indonesia as early as the 13th Century and in Sri Lanka and Cambodia in the 18th Century, India remained as the centre of pepper cultivation till the early 19th Century when large number of pepper holdings were established in Malaysia and later in Brazil.

 Chemical constituents

• Black pepper contains about 5–9% of  the alkaloids Piperine and Piperettine and  about 1.2– 5% of volatile oil. Essential oil is a small portion of a plant material, which consists mainly of Terpenes, Sequiterpenes, and their derivatives.
• It contains a  variety  of chemical constituents, such as Piperolides, Propenylphenols, Amides, Neolignans,Llignans, Flavonoids, Terpenes, and Steroids.
• It also contains 47%-53% fiber, 11%-14% protein, and 10%-13.5% starch. It is also a source of Potassium, Calcium, Manganese, Iron, and minute amounts of vitamins K and C.
• Essential oils of black pepper are extracted from seeds and leaves. More than 250 volatiles have been reported to be present in this valuable spice. The main compounds detected are germacrene D, limonene, b-pinene, a-phellandrene, b-caryophyllene, a-pinene, and cis-b-ocimene

Uses of Black Pepper

Respiratory system

 Black pepper has been used since ages as a traditional medicine to treat common cold and cough. It promotes circulation and mucus flow. It is also helpful in asthmatic conditions, clear respiratory tract and improves respiratory issues. Black pepper alleviate chest congestion and declog nose. Black pepper mixed with honey is a trusted tonic across Indian households as honey serves as a natural cough suppressant.

Antioxidant activity

 Piperine inhibited free radicals and reactive oxygen species, therefore known to possess protective effects against oxidative damage. Piper nigrum or Piperine also found to decrease lipid peroxidation in vivo. Piper nigrum reported to possess antioxidant activity that might be due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic contents. It was found to prevent the oxidative stress by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, human lipoxygenase and arresting hydroxyl and superoxide free radicals, decrease lung carcinogenesis. While, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring activities of Glutathione peroxidase, Catalase, Superoxide dismutase, and by measuring the total content of reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, and protein carbonyl levels.

Administration of the Methanolic extract of Piper nigrum significantly improved memory performance and exhibited antioxidant potential. Methanolic extract of Piper nigrum ameliorates amyloid beta (1-42)-induced spatial memory deterioration by depletion of the oxidative stress.

Antimicrobial activity

Antimicriobial activity of Piperine increases as the concentration increases against both for bacteria and fungi. Gram positive bacteria are more susceptible towards the pepper extracts than gram negative bacteria. The variation in the inhibition among the gram positive and gram negative bacteria is due to the cell wall and cell membrane compositions. Ethanolic extraction of spices dissolves the organic components results in the liberation of the antimicrobial components. Piperine an alkaloid the major constituent of Piperamides present in the skin and seed of the black pepper is responsible for the antimicrobial activity.

Anti-inflammatory activity

The piperine was evaluated for the Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, and Anti-arthritic activities. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated on interleukin 1β stimulated fibroblast like synoviocytes obtained from rheumatoid arthritis, while anti-arthritic including analgesic activities were evaluated on carrageen an induced acute paw model of pain and arthritis in rats. The prostaglandin E2 , cyclooxygenase 2, interleukin 6 and matrix metallo-proteinase levels were evaluated by ELISA and RT-PCR methods of analysis. expression of interleukin 6 and matrix metallo-proteinase 13 were also inhibited. The pain and arthritic symptoms were significantly reduced by Piperine.

Piperine improves circulation as well as reduces pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties and is great in treating joint pains of arthritis. It is also useful in treating gum inflammation and bleeding gums.

Digestive system

Piperine present in black pepper increases the bio-availability of important nutrients for absorption by the body; nutrients such as Selenium, Beta-carotene, Curcumin and Vitamins A and C are absorbed in greater quantities in the presence of Piperine. It also slows down intestinal activity to enhance absorption of nutrients. Black pepper stimulates the appetite through the sense of smell, making it an excellent stimulant for poor appetites. It promotes the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes that aid in improving the process of digestion. It has a positive effect on pancreatic enzymes, possess strong carminative properties that helps in alleviating flatulence and colic pains.

Related Article: Cinnamon