HERBAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS – Piper nigrum (BLACK PEPPER)

Indian spices that provide flavor color and aroma to food also possess many therapeutic properties. Ancient Indian texts of Ayurveda an Indian system of medicine detailed the medicinal properties of these plants and their therapeutic usage. Recent scientific research has established the presence of many active compounds in these spices that are known to possess specific pharmacological properties. The therapeutic efficacy of these individual spices for specific pharmacological actions has also been established by experimental and clinical studies. The medicinal effects traditionally ascribed to Indian spices are validated by modern pharmacological and experimental techniques thus providing a scientific rationale to their traditional therapeutic usage.