Pippali, Long pepper (Piper longum) - Properties, Benefits & Dosage

Description of Plant

Long pepper is a slender aromatic climber and creeping jointed stems and fleshy fruits are embedded into the spikes. The Leaves are of dark green color. Flowers of this plant are monoecious. Male and female flowers are borne on different plants.

Leaves are ovate or heart shaped having dark green color above and pale green below. They are about 2 to 3 inches long.

This plant bear flowers during rainy season. Both male and female flowers are borne on different plants.

Fruits of this plant are oval shaped consisting of orange and yellowish color and they grow in early winters, drupes are about 1 inch in diameter.

Spike when once get ripened, turns red in color.

Root are grayish brown colored and longitudinally wrinkled. They are Perennial woody roots.

General Description

Long pepper has its reference from the ancient textbooks of Ayurveda. Ayurveda has explained various uses of long pepper for dietary purpose as well as for various health purposes. It is basically used for healthy respiratory system. Long pepper is also beneficial for healthy digestion and healthy metabolism as well.

Pippali is useful herb for cold and mucus conditions of the lungs as it boosts vasodilatation and increases circulation to the lung. It acts as a bronchodilator, decongestant and expectorant. Pippali is a strong rejuvenative for the lungs. If you are prone to cold, this herb is recommended as it will prevent cold.

Its chemical composition is Piperine, piplartine, pipernoline, piperundecalidine, eicosadienamide, eicosatrienamide, guineensine, long amide, octadecadie, piperlongine, piperlongumine, pellitorine, pipercide, piperundecalidine and essential oils.

Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Magnolipsida
• Order: Piperales
• Family: Piperaceae
• Genus: Piper
• Species: Longum

Habitat

Piper longum is a herb found growing in the hotter parts of India, from central Himalayas to Assam, Khasi and Mikir hills, Assam, Tamil Naidu and Andhra Pradesh. Also found in forest of Western Ghats from Konkan to Kerala. In countries other than India are Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and in other South East Asian regions.

Names

• English Name: Indian Long Pepper
• Hindi Name: Pipal, Pipli, Lendi Peepar, Pippali
• Sanskrit Name: Kapala, Katikasira, Chanchala, Chupula, Dantakapha, Gonamika,Granthika, Granthikam, Kagophale, Kanamula, Katubija, Katugranthikam, Kolamula, Kolya, Korangi, Krikala, Krishnapippali, Krsnatandula, Magadha, Magadhi, Magadhika, Magadhodbhava, Pippali,
• Asamiya Name: Pipoli
• Bengali Name: Piplamor, Pipal, Ralli, Pipul, Peepul
• Gujarati Name: Pipli
• Kannada Name: Hipli, Hippali, Hippaliballi, Kuna, Tippali, Yippali, Kuna Balli, Hippali Balli, Thippali Balli, Tip
• Marathi Name: Pimpli, Piplee, Pimpalee, Pipli
• Malayalam Name: Tippali, Pippali, Amgadhi
• Oriya Name: Videhee
• Tamil Name: Argadi, Atti, Kalidi, Kalini, Kaman, Kanna, Kattuttippilikkodi, Kindigam, Kirandigam, Kolagam, Pippi
• Telugu Name: Modi, Peppelu Pippallu, Pipili, Pippali, Pippali-Katte, Pippallu, Pippuloo, Pippali Katte

Ayurvedic Properties

Hindi / Sanskrit		English
Rasa	Katu	Taste	Pungent
Guna	Laghu, Tikshna	Physical Property	Light, Piercing
Virya	Ushna	Potency	Hot
Vipaka	Madhura	Metabolic Property (After Digestion)	Sweet

Effects on Doshas

It balances Kapha and Vata Dosha.

Classical Categorization

Charaka Samhita

• Deepaneeya - Group of herbs that improve digestion strength.
• Kanthya - Group of herbs that is good for throat disorders.
• Asthapanopaga - Group of herbs useful in decoction enema (Asthapana Basti).
• Shiro Virechanopaga - Group of herbs useful in expelling Doshas from head and neck.
• Sheeta Prashamana - Group of herbs that suppress cold, cough.
• Shoola Prashamana - Group of herbs useful in pain, abdominal colic.
• Kasahara - Group of herbs useful against cough.
• Hikkanigrahana - Group of herbs that help to control hiccups.
• Trptighna - Group of herbs that relieves pseudo-satiation.
• Vamanopaga - Group of herbs useful in Vamana.
• Panchakarma - Emesis treatment.

Ancient Verse about Piper longum

• The names are Pippali, Magadhi, Krushna, Vaidehi, Chapala, Kana, Upakulya, Ushana, Shoundi, Kola and Teeksna Tandula all are Sanskrit names of Piper longum.
• Pippali promotes digestive fire, Aphrodisiac. Having sweet taste after digestion and rejuvenating properties. Slightly hot in potency with pungent taste. It pacifies Vata and Kapha. The herb is useful for asthma, cough, diabetes, piles, spleen disorders and endotoxins.
• Raw Pippali aggravates Kapha. It is unctuous, cold in potency, sweet in taste, heavy in nature and pacifies Pitta.
• Dry Pippali aggravates Pitta if mixed with honey. It pacifies cough, fever, excess of adipose tissue and is good for digestive fire. If Pippali is used with jiggery, it is useful for low digestive fire, indigestion, asthma, heart disease, anemia and worms.

References

The Bhavprakash nighantu with elaborated Hindi commentary by Padmashri prof. K.C. Chunekar, edited by Dr. G.S. Pandey: edition of 1998: verse - 64-65, page no-19-20.

Practical Uses of Piper longum

Pippali is an herb holding so many medicinal properties which makes it to be very useful in various conditions and its properties are antibacterial, diuretic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, analgesic, carminative, laxative emmenagogue, expectorant and thermogenic.

• Pippali is useful herbal remedy for Asthma.
• It is even good for hair growth and used as a hair tonic.
• The herb is found to have benefits against indigestion, diarrhea, gastric problem and stomach pain.
• It is wonderful herb to be used in Beriberi caused due to deficiency of B1.
• Long pepper also has preventive effects in stroke.
• It has useful effects in case of enlarged spleen.
• Pippali is also strong longevity enhancer.
• This herb helps to transport nutrients and help to eliminate wastes from body.
• It is good to enhances digestion, assimilation and metabolism of the food.
• Calms the nerves and recovers sleep quality at night.
• Used in the treatment of chronic dysentery and worm infestations.
• It is useful in giving relief from throat infections.
• Long pepper is very effective in hiccups.
• Good herbal remedy in case of irregular fever, piles and anemia.
• It helps to maintain blood circulation and enhances immune system.
• Beneficial in nausea and congestion.
• A good detoxifier of lungs, kidneys and for cleaning of lymph glands.
• It is used as brain tonic.

Part Used

Moola (Root) and Fruits are generally used.

Dosage

Powder 0.5-1 gram in a single or multiple doses per day, usually administered after food.

Caution

• It is best to be avoided in infants.
• It can be used in lactating mothers in lower doses.
• For use in pregnancy, medical advice is required.