Herbs - Medicinal plants usage and Identification Data base

Piper longum Linn

Piper longum Linn.

Family _ Piperaceae.





Habitat _ Warmer parts of India,

from Central Himalayas to Assam,

lower hills of West Bengal; Uttar

Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Western

Ghats from Konkan southwards to

Trivandrum. Often cultivated.

English _ Indian Long Pepper,

Joborandi.

Ayurvedic _ Pippali, Maagadhi,

Maagadha, Maagadhaa, Maagadhikaa,

Magadhodbhavaa, Vaidehi,

Upkulyaa, Pippalikam, Chapalaa,

Kanaa, Krishnaa. Uushnaa, Shaundi,

Kolaa, Tikshna-tandulaa.

Unani _ Filfil Daraaz, Daarfilfil.

Siddha/Tamil _ Thippili, Arisi thippili.

Thippiliver (root).





Action _ Fruits—used for diseases

of the respiratory tract (cough,

bronchitis, asthma); as sedative (in

insomnia and epilepsy); as cholagogue

(in obstruction of bile duct

and bladder), as emmenagogue, as

digestive, appetizer and carminative

(in indigestion); as general tonic and

haematinic (in anaemia, chronic

fevers and for improving intellect).

Applied locally on muscular pains

and inflammations.

Several aristolactams and dioxoaporphines

have been isolated from Indian

long pepper. It also contains the

long chain isobutyl amide, longamide,

besides guineensine and the lignans,

pluviatilol, methyl pluviatilol (fargesin),

sesamin and asarinine.

Piperine is themajor alkaloid of peppers.

Piperine is antipyretic, hypotensive,

analeptic, CNS stimulant. It has been

reported to exert significant protection

against induced hepatotoxicity

in mice.