Sach Health Supplies LLC.
Photo credit : Universitat Craz/ Gernot Katzer
Piper Cubeba.
Plant parts used:
mature , dried fruit.
Description :
Fruit globular , wrinkled,4-6 mm in diameter, dark brown,with the
base prolonged into a thin straight flattened, about 4 mm long
stalk. Fruit hard,stony,albumen white and oily. Odour, aromatic
and characteristic;taste bitter and spicy.
Chemical composition :
The dried fruits contain up to 10% essential oil composed of
monoterpenes (sabinene 50%, carene, α-thujene, 1,4-cineol and
1,8-cineol) and sesquiterpenes (copaene, α- and β-cubebene, δ-
cadinene, caryophyllene, garmacrene, cubebol). The
monoterpenes dominate by mass, but the sesquiterpenes are
important for the characteristic flavour.
The pungency is caused by the lignane cubebin (2%) and several
related compounds: hinokinin, clusin, dihydroclusin,
dihydrocubebin and more. Amides, the pungent principles in
black and long pepper do not play a significant rôle.
Medicinal properties :
Alcoholic extract of the drug shows antibacterial activity against
Micrococcus pyrogens var. aureus.
