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Updated in February 29, 2000.
The family Piperaceae belongs to superorder Nymphaeiflorae, order Piperales
(Dahlgren) and comprises approximately 5 genera and 1400
species (Yunker, 1979). The genera Piper and Peperomia
are the most representative of Piperaceae (700 and 600 species, respectively).
Some of these species are used in folk
medicine to treat many diseases.
CONTENTS
Peperomia
and Piper
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Peperomia obtusifolia
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Peperomia scandens
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Piper solmsianum
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Piper nigrum
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Peperomia nivences
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Peperomia pellucida
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Botany
Lists of Genera
Species
Chemistry
Phytochemical investigations
of Piperceae have shown the presence of metabolites from mevalonic acid
(monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes), acetic acid/shikimic acid (flavonoids)
and shikimic acid pathways (lignoids, arylpropanoids, amides). The most
frequent metabolites isolated are amides (cinnamoyl amides and alkyl amides).
Aristolactams and other alkaloids also have been isolated. It has been
frequent in Piperaceae the presence of flavonoids, represented by flavones,
dihydroflavones, chalcones and dihydroclacones. Methoxyflavonoids are often
isolated of Piperaceae but glycosyflavonoids are rare.
Parmar, V.S., Jain, S.C., Bisht, K.S., Jain, R., Taneja,
P., Jha, A., Tyagi, O.D., Prasad, A.K., Wengel,
J., Olsen, C.E., Boll, P.M., Phytochemistry of the Genus Piper,
Phytochemistry, (1997), 46(4), 597.
S.Sengupta and A.B. Ray, The Chemistry of Piper : a Review, (1987),
Fitoterapia, 58(3).
Ethnopharmacology
Popular Uses Region Specie
antinflammatory Mexico, Oxaca, Equatorial Guinea Photomorphe umbelata
antimalarial
antleukemic Morocco, Mediterane Piper nigrum
weight lost treatment
against fevers Indonesia Piper nigrum
had ache, trachoma
vaginitis Guatemala, Brazil Piper aduncum
stomach ache Mexico, Oxaca Piper tuberculatum
against venon snack Indonesia Piper methysticum
poisoning, antepileptic
Databases
Selected Links
JOURNALS
Barnes
and Noble Search
ASSOCIATIONS
Researchers
TAXONOMISTS
PHYTOCHEMISTS
Maria Auxiliadora C. Kaplan Ph.D., Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Davyson de Lima Moreira
My interest in the family
Piperaceae has started in my Msc. and Ph.D. studies.
I started my Msc. thesis with species from Rio de Janeiro State/
Brazil, including P. aduncum, P. solmsianum
(phytochemical studies) and Ottonia anisum (essential oil composition).
I focused on my Ph.D. thesis the phytochemical studies of Piper
aduncum, P. lhotzkyanum, P. gaudichaudianum and P.
solmsianum, and the biological properties
of P. gaudichaudianum (extracts, fractions and pure compounds) and
of P. solmsianum (essential oil and pure compounds isolated from
its oil). It was also the aim of my Ph.D. thesis the chemical characterization
of compounds from the essential oil of P. lhotzkyanum, Peperomia
alata, Peperomia obtusifolia, Peperomia scandes
and Peperomia pellucida. The results of my work have been published
in Phytochemistry Journal, Journal of the Ess. Oil
Research, Acta Horticulturae, An. Acad. Bras. Ciencias, Rev. Bras. Farmacia
and in Antimicrobial and Chemotherapy Agents.
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