Black Pepper and Health Claims: A Comprehensive Treatise

Abstract

For millennia, spices have been an integral part of human diets and commerce. Recently, the widespread recognition of diet-health linkages bolsters their dietary importance. The bioactive components present in them are of considerable significance owing to their therapeutic potential against various ailments. They provide physiological benefits or prevent chronic ailment in addition to the fundamental nutrition and often included in the category of functional foods. Black pepper (Piper Nigrum L.) is an important healthy food owing to its antioxidant, antimicrobial potential and gastro-protective modules. Black pepper, with piperine as an active ingredient, holds rich phytochemistry that also includes volatile oil, oleoresins, and alkaloids. More recently, cell-culture studies and animal modeling predicted the role of black pepper against number of maladies. The free-radical scavenging activity of black pepper and its active ingredients might be helpful in chemoprevention and controlling progression of tumor growth. Additionally, the key alkaloid components of Piper Nigrum, that is, piperine assist in cognitive brain functioning, boost nutrient's absorption and improve gastrointestinal functionality. In this comprehensive treatise, efforts are made to elucidate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, gastro-protective, and antidepressant activities of black pepper. Moreover, the synergistic interaction of black pepper with different drugs and nutrients is the limelight of the manuscript. However, the aforementioned health-promoting benefits associated with black pepper are proven in animal modeling. Thus, there is a need to conduct controlled randomized trials in human subjects, cohort studies, and meta-analyses. Such future studies would be helpful in recommending its application in diet-based regimens to prevent various ailments.

Quantitative Structure–Cytotoxicity Relationship of Newly Synthesized Piperic Acid Esters

“…Among eleven piperic acid ester derivatives, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl ester [4] showed the highest cytotoxicity against OSCC cell lines (mean CC 50 =17 μM), followed by (4-methoxyphenyl)methyl ester (38 μM) [1], 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl ester [5] (42 μM), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl ester (46 μM) [3], 2-phenylethyl ester [7] (61 μM) and 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl ester [6] (102 μM). On the other hand, (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl ester [2] (>368 μM), 3-phenylpropyl ester [8], 4-phenyl-2-butyl ester [9], 4-phenylbutyl ester [10] and decyl ester [11] (>400 μM) were essentially inactive (Table I).…”

“…When Ca9-22 and HGF cells, both derived from gingival tissue, were used, [4] showed the highest TS value (21.6), followed by [1] (>15.1), [7] (>6.6), [3] Table I). [4] showed the highest PSE value (396.0), followed by [1] (>57.2), [7] (>11.0), [5] Table I).…”

“…When four OSCC cell lines and three normal oral cells were used, [1] showed the highest TS value (>10.5), followed by [4] (8.0), [7] (>6.6), [3] (2.6), [6] (1.9), [5] Table I). [4] showed the highest PSE value (47.0), followed by [1] (>27.8), [7] (>10.8), [3] (5.7), [5] Table I). …”

“…Piperine {1-[5-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-1-oxo-2,4-pentadienyl] piperidine)}, along with its isomer chavicine, is a pungent alkaloid contained in black pepper (1). Piperine has been reported to enhance the oral absorption and hence the bioavailability of accompanying compounds (2,3) and some antibacterial activity (4,5).…”

Standardization and Chemical Analysis of Rasam: A South Indian Traditional Functional Food

“…17,18 hypoglycemic effect of black mustard; 19 hepato-protective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hypoglycemic, and antipyretic activity of curry leaves; [20][21][22] diuretic, antioxidant, and antiplatelet activity of coriander leaves; 23,24 antiflatulent, anti-microbial, and antiasthmatic effect of asafoetida 25 are been reported. These facts ascertain that rasam is a classical example of traditional functional food.…”