Long Pepper: Best Herb for Respiratory and Digestion Problems (Piper Longum Linn.)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

“Long Pepper (Pippali) is a major ingredient of famous digestive and carminative formulations such as Trikatu, Chaturushna, Panchkola and Shadaushna.”

The name Pippali is derived from English word pepper, Pippali along with black pepper is a famous trade item since time immemorial. It was used for preparing spice mixture in European cuisine. Hippocrates first described long pepper as a medicament and a spice. It is widely used in seasoning food, preparing spices, and making pickles.

It is believed that long pepper originated during the time of Samudra manthan (churning of ocean). In Brahmanas, Upnishads, and Puranas, long pepper is used as an aphrodisiac herb. Since then, it is used as single drug or in combination to treat various ailments related to respiratory and digestive system.

Long pepper when taken with other herb increases the bioavailability and absorption of the other active ingredients. Nowdays long pepper is used as a popular bioenhancer drug. Ashtang considered long pepper as the best remedy for splenomegaly. Charaka has included this in shirovirechana, vaman, and santarpaniya Dravya.

It is started that long pepper root is the best Deepana, pachna and aanahahshamaka Dravya. Long pepper is a major ingredient in many preparations; like shoolghna, krimighna, pipasangha, vataanulomani and kanthya.

You may also like

2. Common Names

• Family – Piperaceae
• Hindi Name – Pippali
• English Name – Long Pepper

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Pipulmul
• Gujarati – Gantoda, Ganthoda
• Kannada – Modikaddi, Hippali
• Malayalam – Kattuthippaliver, Tippaliveru
• Marathi – Pimpli
• Tamil – Kanda Tippli
• Telugu – Modi, Madikatta
• Oriya – Baihehi, Krykola

4. Synonyms

• Chapala – On oral intake, the fruits produce tingling sensation.
• Krishna – The dried fruits is black in color.
• Magadhi – It is commonly found in Magadha region.
• Tikshnatandula – The dried fruit is sharp and pungent in taste.
• Ushna – The fruit is hot in action and potency.
• Vaidehi – It is commonly found in Vaidehi region.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Deepaniya, Kasahara, Kanthya, Triptighna
• Sushrut Samhita – Pippalayadi, Amalakyadi
• Ashtang Hridaya – Pippalayadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Shatapushpadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Sunthyadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oushadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Pippalayadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – haritakiyadi varga

6. Distribution

Long pepper is native to India-Malaysian region, it is growing in wild as well as in cultivation in tropical, subtropical rain forests of India, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, and adjoining areas. It occurs throughout the hotter parts of India mostly in Assam, West Bengal, Konkan, Kerala, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar.

Explore Wholesale Herbs Powder

7. Morphology

It is a slender, aromatic climber with perennial woody roots, stems creeping, jointed, erect, subscandent, swollen, and produce roots at the nodes.

Leaves – Simple, axillary, alternate, lower one broadly ovate to cordate, upper one oblong, oval in shape, subacute apex, margin entire, shiny, glabrous and dark green.

Flowers – Yellowish-green, dioecious, which occurs in solitary cylindrical spikes, pedunculate, male flowers are large and slender whereas female flowers are small.

Fruits – Obling berries, small, unripe green which turns to yellowish orange and red when fully ripe and when completely dried, it turns black in color which is completely sunk in solid fleshy spike. Mature and dried spikes form the commercial form of long pepper.

Roots – They are slender, brown and pungent in taste, known as Pippalimula.

8. Types

There are four types of long pepper:

• Pippali
• Gaja Pippali
• Sanhali Pippali
• Vanya Pippali

9. Ayurvedic Properties

10. Chemical Constituent

Long pepper fruit contains alkaloids, amides, volatile oils, saponins, carbohydrates, amygalin, starch and protein. Piperine (alkaloids) is the major and active constituent in Pippali. Other constituents are piperlongumine, pipernonaline, pipercide, sesamine, methyl piperine, piperttine, asarinin, pellitorine, piperoic acid and essential oils.

Explore Herbal Tea

11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

For Roots

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 5.5%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 0.2%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 4%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 12%

For Fruit

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 5.5%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 0.2%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 4%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 12%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1999, 2004)

12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Action

Ayurvedic classic describe dried long pepper fruit as an appetizer, digestive, relish, aphrodisiac, rejuvenator, mild laxative, antipyretic, brain tonic, cardiotonic, antimicrobial, calefacients, analgesic, expectorant, bronchial antispasmodic, antihic-cough, voice promoter, appetizers, aggravated rakta dosha, antibacterial, liver stimulants, laxative, pacify vata, diuretic, antidermatosis, uterine astringent.

• Pipplamula – Deepana, krimighna, rochana, pittaopaka
• Doshakarma – Tridoshashamaka, Pittaprakopaka, Pittashamaka
• Dhatukarma – Rasayana, Vrishya
• Malakarma – Rechana, Vataanulomana

Pharmacological Action

It is reported to exhibit antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antitumor, anthelmintic, antiobesity, hypoglycemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, radioprotective, cardioprotective, anticonvulsant and antiasthmatic activities.

13. Health Benefits

Long pepper is used to treat asthma, cough, hic-cough, thirst, fever, diabetes, abdominal diseases, abdominal tumors, colic, flatulence, skin diseases, piles, splenomegaly, lumbago, edema, obesity, chronic fever, indigestion, dyspepsia, constipation, cardiac debility, worm infestation, urinary retention, bleeding disorders and amenorrhea.

Long pepper root is used specifically in anthelmintic, flatulence, splenomegaly, asthma, emaciation, loss of appetite, and disease of aggravated vata.

The fruit are used after child birth to check postpartum hemorrhage, as a cholagogue in bile duct and gall bladder obstruction. Unripe fruit is used, and roots is used in chronic bronchitis, cough, and cold and is also used in palsy, gout, rheumatism and lumbago.

Explore More Herbs

14. Therapeutic Uses

Hic-cough – Long pepper mixed with sugar is taken.

Toothache – Long pepper is mixed with madhughrita should be kept in mouth.

Cough – intake of 0.5g of long pepper powder with honey helps to cure cough.

Asthma – Powder of long pepper, amla and ginger mixed with honey gives relief.

Hemorrhoids – Long pepper and Abhya mixed with jaggery should be taken.

Obesity – Long pepper singly or trikatu along with honey is administrated.

Worm infestation – Long pepper root should be taken with ajadugdha in worm infestation.

Insomnia – Intake of long pepper root powder with jaggery is recommended.

15. Official Part Used

Fruit, root.

16. Doses

Powder – 0.5 to 1g

17. Formulations

Trikatu, Guda pippali ,Pippali khanda, Chausthprahari pippali, Vardhmaan pippali rasayana, sitopaladi churna, pippalyasava, pugakhanda.

18. Side Effects

As it is hot and Tikshna in properties, it should be avoided in pregnancy and lactation. It is also reported not to use Long pepper with barbiturates and phenytoin.