Pepper

 
Piper nigrum

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed. Peppercorns, and the powdered pepper derived from grinding them, may be described simply as pepper, or more precisely as black pepper, white pepper, or green pepper. Green peppercorns are simply the immature black peppercorns. Black pepper, white pepper, green pepper, pink pepper, and red pepper are all differently preserved berries or seeds of the Piper nigrum plant.

Synonyms Bisalkaloids, black pepper oil, Brazilian black pepper, dipiperamide D, dipiperamide E, green pepper, pink pepper, Piperaceae (family), piperine, piptigrine, red pepper, white pepper, wisanine.

Background

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is native to India and other southeastern Asian countries. Black pepper, white pepper, green pepper, pink pepper, and red pepper are all differently preserved berries or seeds of the Piper nigrum plant. Although black pepper has been used as a spice for millennia, it has also traditionally been used in India to treat diarrhea. In the Ayurvedic tradition, a preparation called Trikatu (black pepper, long pepper, and ginger) is prescribed routinely for a variety of diseases.

The pepper plant grows best in a warm and humid climate. Berries mature and are ready for harvest in about 180 to 200 days. Black pepper is produced by sun drying the mature pepper berries for 3 - 5 days after they are separated from the spikes by threshing and white pepper by putting mature berries in clean water for 5 - 7 days, removing the outer skin and drying the seed after thorough washing.

Contra-indications: Inhalation of black pepper may cause respiratory irritation and edema (swelling). Piperine, a constituent of black pepper, may increase the bioavailability of theophylline (an agent used for asthma). Caution is advised in patients with respiratory conditions or in those taking herbs and supplements to manage asthma.

• Although not well studied in humans, there may be a link between ingestion of black pepper and certain types of cancer. Patients taking anticancer herbs or supplements should use black pepper with caution.
• Black pepper may have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pain-relieving effects; use cautiously with herbs or supplements that have similar effects.
• Extracts of black pepper seeds may inhibit acetylcholinesterase. Use cautiously with cholinergic agonists. Consult a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist, to check for interactions.
• Constituents isolated from black pepper may interfere with the way the body processes certain herbs or supplements using the liver's "cytochrome P450" enzyme system. As a result, the levels of other herbs or supplements may become too high in the blood. It may also alter the effects that other herbs or supplements possibly have on the P450 system.

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