Phytochemical Studies of Piper nigrum L: A Comprehensive Review

Introduction

For centuries, spices rich in natural bioactive compounds have been used by various cultures for food seasoning, disease prevention, immune enhancement, and insecticidal and foodborne disease healing. As a result of the collapse of multi-resistance drug action on pathogens, the rise in natural bioactive compounds is growing today throughout the world (Saleem et al., 2022). In the age of allopathic medicines, the trend for traditional medicines such as Indian medicine systems (Ayurveda, Siddha, etc.), Chinese and African traditional medicine is increasing daily, as they have a negligible number of side effects on the human body. Traditional medicines are prepared from extracts of plants and animal species without commercial derivatives, making them more effective for use and as remedies for different diseases (Arji et al., 2019; Hua et al., 2019). Piper nigrum L, a tropical herb, is grown worldwide in hot and humid climates. Globally, Vietnam, led by Indonesia, India, and Brazil, produces the highest levels of Piper nigrum, as shown in Table 1. India’s main development areas are the Malabar coast of India and a small portion of the rest of southern India (Takooree et al., 2019). Piper nigrum plant species of the Piperaceae family are considered the king of species for their lavish pungent medicinal properties and their therapeutic ability against different ailments. Considering the botanical aspects, the physical appearance of P.nigrum is like a climbing vine spanning 9m long with dark green leaves of 13-25 cm length bearing flower spikes on stems opposite to leaves. The seeds in their dry state are addressed as “peppercorns” (Figure 1) (Winda, 2021).

Figure 1.

Green peppercorns of Piper nigrum