HERBAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS - 42. Piper longum (Long pepper)

The genus Piper belongs to the Piperaceae family and it has over 700 species distributed in both hemispheres. The Piperaceae family is a source of many biologically active phytochemicals with great potential for medicinal and agricultural uses. Species in the genus Piper have a wide array of secondary metabolite compounds, particularly alkaloids and amides. Piper nigrum is one of the more well-known species because of its high commercial, economical, and medicinal properties. It is known that Piper nigrum has biological activities such as, analgesic, antipyretic and antifeedent activities. Piper longum linn is one of the important medicinal plant of the family piperaceae.