Pippali

Sanskrit name: पिप्पली

निरुक्ति: पिपर्ति पालयति पुरूषं पूरयति च क्षीणान् धातूनिति । (भा.नि.)

Pippali (Bha. Ni.) : It is useful in many disorders and acts as Rasayana.

Latin name: Piper longum Linn.

Gana: Charaka: Kasahara, Hikkanigrahana, Shirovirechana, Vamana, Truptighna, Dipaniya, Shulaprashamana

             Sushruta: Pippalyadi, Urdhwabhaghahara, Shirovirechana   

Bhavapraksha nighantu: Haritakyadi Varga 49-54

Dravyaguna Vijnana II (P.V.): Kasahara page 275-279

          API Part I Vol IV

Synonyms:

मागधी : मगध् षु भवा । (भा.नि.)

Magadhi (Bha. Ni.) : It grows in Magadha desha.

वैद् ही : विद् ह् षु भवा । (भा.नि.)

Vaidehi (Bha. Ni.) : It grows in Vaideha desha (Nepal).

उपकुल्या : कुल्यामुप स्मीप् गता जायमाना । (भा.नि.)

Upakulya (Bha. Ni.) : It grows along the sides of water streams.

कणा : कणाकारफलत्वात् । (भा.नि.)

Kana (Bha. Ni.) : Fruits are small  berries.

शौण्डी : शुण्डा मध्यपानगृहम्, तत्र हिता ; मध्याभिषव् मध्यपान् चोपदंशरूप् ण प्रयोज्यत्वात्, शुण्डाकारफलत्वाच्च । (भा.नि.)

Shaundi (Bha. Ni.) : Fruits completely sunk in solid fleshy spike ( Trunk of  elephant). It is used with condiments in drinking liquors.

कृष्णा : कृष्णफला, पक्व् सति फलानि रक्तानि, तदनुशुष्कानि कृष्णानि भवन्ति । (भा.नि.)

Krushna (Bha. Ni.) : Fruits red when ripe and black, when dry.

ऊषणा : ऊषति रसानां व्यथयति कटुत्वात् । (भा.नि.)

Ushana (Bha. Ni.) : It is Katu in taste.

कोला : कोलप्रमाणं फलमस्याः, कटुत्वाच्च । (भा.नि.)

Kola (Bha. Ni.) : Fruit weighs 1 Kola (approximately 6gms.). It is Katu in taste.

तीक्ष्णतण्डुला : तीक्ष्णस्तण्डुला बीजान्यस्याः। (भा.नि.)

Tikshna tandula (Bha. Ni.) : Seeds Katu in taste.

चपला : चपति शमयति रोगान्, लाति चारोग्यमिति, प्रसरणशीलत्वाच्च । (भा.नि.)

Chapala (Bha. Ni.) : It cures diseases and brings back the health. 

Vernacular names:

          Hindi: Pipari                   Assam: Pippali                        

          Marathi: Pimpali             Bengal: Pipul

          Kannada: Hippali           Gujarat: Pipali, Lendi Peepeer

          Telagu: Pippallu             Punjab: Magh Pipali

          Tamil: Tippili                 Guajarati: Lindi pipal

Malayalam: Tippali

          English: Long pepper, Indian long pepper.

Morphology:

Habit : Slender aromatic climber, rooting at the nodes, the branches erect, subscandent, swollen at the nodes; Leaves : alternate, lower ones broadly ovate, cordate, upper ones oblong, oval, all entire, smooth, thin with reticulate venation, veins raised beneath; Flowers in solitary spikes; Fruits berries, small, red when ripe, completely sunk in solid fleshy spike. The mature spikes collected and dried form the commercial form of pippali.

Distribution: Throughout India, in evergreen forests, often cultivated.

Types: Another species – Piper sylvaticum Roxb. – Assam, Bengal;

Rajanighantukara has mentioned four types- 1. Pippali 2. Gajapippali, Simhali pippali 4. Vanapippali.

P.V. Sharma sir explains: Pippali is found in Magadh etc regions of India; fruits of Chavya are considered as Gajapipplai; Pippali found in regions of Shrilanka, Singapur etc is called Simhali pippali and is Piper retrofractum Vahl. Vanapippali is wild variety, possibly Piper sylvaticum Roxb. or Piper peepuloides Roxb. is considered and common in areas of Assam, Bengal. It is small, thin and less pungent. 

Guna-Karma:

                   Guna: Snigdha, Laghu, Tikshna 

                   Rasa: Katu                                              Vipaka: Madhura

                   Virya: Anushna                           Prabhava:

          Karma: Doshaghnata: Vata-Shleshmahara; Pitta prakopaka

Anyakarma: Dipana, Vatanulomana, Shulaprashamana, Vrushya, Rasayana, Rechana, Yakrut uttejana, Krumighna, Kasahara, Shwasahara, Hikkanigrahana, Jwaraghna

Prayoga: Shwasa, Kasa, Udara, Jwara, Kushtha, Prameha, Gulma, Arsha, Pliha, Aruchi, Agnimanya, Shula, Amavata, Yakrut roga

Ardra Pippali: Guna: Snigdha, Guru                     

                           Rasa: Madhura

                           Vipaka: Madhura                   

                           Virya: Shita

          Doshakarma: Pittaprashamana, Kaphaprada

	Pippali	Ardra Pippali
Guna	Laghu, : Snigdha, Tikshna	Guru, Snigdha
Rasa	Katu	Madhura
Virya	Anushna	Shita
Vipaka	Madhura	Madhura
Doshaghnata	Vata-Shleshmahara; Pitta prakopaka	Pittaprashamana, Kaphaprada

 

Chemical composition: The  fruits  of P. longum  have starch,  protein and alkaloids, volatile oils, saponins, carbohydrates, and amygdalin

Alkaloids : piperine, methyl piperine, pipernonaline, piperettine, asarinine, pellitorine,  piperundecalidine,  piperlongumine,  piperlonguminine,  retrofractamide  A, pergumidiene,  brachystamide-B,  a  dimer  of  desmethoxypiplartine,  N-isobutyl  decadienamide, brachyamide-A,  brachystine,  pipercide,  piperderidine,  longamide,  dehydropipernonaline piperidine  and  tetrahydro  piperine.

Prayojya Anga: Phala : Fruit greenish-black to black, cylindrical, 2.5 to 5 cm long and 0.4 to 1 cm thick, consisting of minute sessile fruits, arranged around an axis; surface rough and composite; broken surface shows a central axis and 6 to 12 fruitlets arranged around an axis; taste, pungent producing numbness on the tongue; odour, aromatic.  

Mula

Sangraha Kala: NA

Amayika prayoga:

Bahya:

1.     Hikka: Nasya with Pippali churna and Mishri mixed in Jala. ( Sho.Ni.)

2.     Kamala: Nasya and Anjana with fine powder of Pippali and Vidanga. . ( Sho.Ni.)

 Abhyantara : 

1.     Use of Pippali with different Anupana:

Pippali when used with Madhu cures Medas and Kapha, Shwasa, Kasa, Jwara and is Vrushya, Medhya, Agnivardhana;

Pippali with Guda cures Jirna jwara, Agnimandya Kasa, Ajirna, Aruchi, Shwasa, Hrudroga, Pandu, Krumi;

Guda should be always double the weight of Pippali.

2.     Kasa : A. Ghee roasted Pippali churna mixed with Saindhav lavana should be licked with Madhu. (Cha.Chi.22)

 B. Fine powder of Pippali should be given with Guda. (Harita)

3.     Kaphaja Kasa : Oil roasted Pippali churna mixed Mishri should be given with Kulatta kwatha.(A.Hru.Chi.2)

4.     Atisara : A.Fine powder of Pippali should be licked with Madhu. .(A.Hru.Chi.9)

B. Pippali churna should be given with Dugdha for 3 days. It cures Pravahika. (Sho.Ni.)

5. Ajirna : Pippali churna should be given with Guda. (Sha.Sam)

6. Amlapitta : Pippali churna should be licked with Madhu. (Chakradatta)

7. Parinama shula : Ghrita prepared with Pippali Kalka and Kwatha should be licked with Madhu followed by Dugdha. (Vangasena)

8. Plihodara : Pippali churna and Loha churna should be given with Dugdha. (Sho.Ni.)

9. Gandamala : Vardhamana Pippali is beneficial. (Sho.Ni.)

10. Shleshmaja jwara : Pippali churna should be licked with Madhu. (Harita)

11. Vishama jwara : Pippali churna should be licked with Madhu and Ghrita followed by Godugdha. (Sho.Ni.)

12. Jirna jwara : Pippali churna should be given with Guda. (Sho.Ni.)

13. Vatarakta : Vardhamana Pippali pasted in Dugdha and Jala should be given. After 10 days, decrease the same. Diet: Only Dugdha. (Su.Chi.5)

Vardhamana Pippali yoga is beneficial in Vishama jwara, Pandu, aruchi, Plihodara, Arsha, Kasa, shvasa, shotha, Agnimandya, Hrudroga and Udararoga. 

14. Krimi : Pippali mula churna should be given with Ajadugdha. (Su.U.54) 

Matra: 1-2 Valla with Madhu.

Vishishta Yoga: Gudapippali, Pippalikhanda, Pippalyasava

Research:

1.     Insecticidal and acaricidal activity  : The essential oil of the P. longum showed insecticidal and insect-repellant activity. Cinnamomum zeylanicum toxicities of two piperidine alkaloids (pipernonaline and piperoctadecalidine), isolated from  P.  longum  were  determined  against  five  species  of arthropod  pests.  Both  of  the  alkaloids showed insecticidal activity.

2.     Bioavailability enhancers : Piperine  of  P. longum  shown to  enhance the  bioavailability  of  structurally  and  therapeutically varied drugs. It is maybe by modulating membrane dynamics due to its easy partitioning and raise in  permeability  of  other  drugs.  It  was  reported  that  piperine  also  enhance  the  oral bioavailability of phenytoin in humans.

3.     Coronary vasodilation activity  : Shoji et al., (1986) reported the amide dehydropiperonaline analogue isolated from the fruit of P. longum has established the capability to induce coronary vasodilation.

4.                  Anti-obesity activity  

5.                  Lee  et  al.,  (2005)  reported  the  pharmacological  inhibition  of  acyl  Co-A  diaylglycerol

6.                  acyltransferase  has  emerged  as  a possible  therapy  for the  management  of obesity.  Compounds

7.                  containing  piperidine  groups  are  measured  potential  acyl  Co-A  diacylglycerol  acyltransferase

8.                  inhibitors

4.   Anti-obesity activity :  Lee  et  al.,  (2005)  reported  the    pharmacological  inhibition  of  acyl  Co-A  diaylglycerol acyltransferase  has  emerged  as  a possible  therapy  for the  management  of obesity.  Compounds containing  piperidine  groups  are  measured  potential  acyl  Co-A  diacylglycerol  acyltransferase inhibitors.

5.     Anti-asthmatic activity  The  extract  of  P.  longum  in milk  reduced  passive cutaneous  anaphylaxis  in  rats  and  protected gunia pigs against antigen-induced bronchospasm.

6.            Immunomodulatory activity : Mananvalan  and  Singh  (1979)  reported  the  immunomodulatory  potential  of  P.  longum  fruits extract  has  been  evaluated  by  hoemagglutination  titre,  macrophage  migration  index,  and phagocytic  index  in  mice.  A  well-known ayurvedic preparation  containing  long  pepper,  pippali rasayana,  was  tested  in  mice  infected  with  Giardia lamblia  and  found  to  produce  significant activation of macrophages as shown by an increased macrophage migration index and phagocytic activity.

Important references: