In the present study aqueous extract of Piper nigrum seeds and Vinca rosea flowers were administered orally to alloxan induced diabetic rats once a day for 4 weeks. These treatments lead to significant lowering of blood sugar level and reduction in serum lipids. The levels of antioxidant enzymes, catalase and glutathione peroxidase decreased in alloxan induced diabetic rats however these levels...

N the course of some research on peppers, Capsicum annum (SMITH and I HELSER 1951 ) , conducted at the Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, California, several striking, heritable fruit characters were noted. Upon further analysis, a chromosome linkage was found to exist between two immature-fruit color genes and a gene determining pepper fruit shape. In addition the fruit shape difference bet...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a life-threatening protozoal infection chiefly impinging the rural and poor population in the tropical and sub-tropical countries. The deadly affliction is rapidly expanding after its association with AIDS, swiftly defying its status of a neglected disease. Despite successful formulation of vaccine against canine leishmaniasis, no licensed vaccine is yet available f...

Co-administration of piperine, an alkaloid isolated from Piper nigrum L. enhanced bioavailability of beta lactam antibiotics, amoxycillin trihydrate and cefotaxime sodium significantly in rats. The improved bioavailability is reflected in various pharmacokinetic parameters viz. tmax, Cmax, t(1/2) and AUC, of these antibiotics. The increased bioavailability could be attributed to the effect of p...

Thailand is located in the tropical rain forest zone above the equator. This geographically supports very rich biodiversity, including the genus Piper (Piperaceae). Thirtyeight species of Piper, from out of over 1,000 species in the world, have been discovered recently (1998-2006) by the authors. Plant morphology and plant use information were recorded via observation, market surveys, and inter...

Members of the botanical family Piperaceae were among the first cultivated plants1. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) and long pepper (Piper longum) are the best known species in this family and are probably among the most recognized spices in the world. Black pepper alone accounts for about 35% of the world’s total spice trade. In addition, black pepper and long pepper have been used medicinally for...

In a structure analysis of the compounds of the genus Piper (Family Piperaceae), we identified five phenolic amides from Piper nigrum, seven compounds from P. retrofractum, and two compounds from P. baccatum. All the phenolic amides possess significant antioxidant activities that are more effective than the naturally occurring antioxidant, alpha-tocopherol. One amide, feruperine, has antioxidan...

Ampicillin and Norfloxacin are used to treat variety of bacterial infections. These two drugs have low oral bioavailability. Co-administration of Piperine (20 mg/kg), an alkaloid from Piper nigrum L. enhanced oral bioavailability of Ampicillin and Norfloxacin in animal model. This is reflected in various pharmacokinetic measurements like Cmax, Tmax, AUC and t(1/2) of the above antibiotics in an...

ÐThe essential oils from Piper capense, P. nigrum, P. guineense and P. umbellatum from S. Tome e Prõ ncipe were investigated for the ®rst time. They were analysed by GC, GC-mass spectrometry and C NMR. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the main group of constituents in three of the samples (P. capense, P. nigrum and P. umbellatum), whereas for the other species (P. guineense) phenylpropanoid deri...

Thirty samples of Indonesian medicinal plants were analyzed for their capacity to inhibit in vitro metabolism by human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and CYP2D6 with a radiometric assay. The MeOH-soluble fractions of 25 samples, prepared from water extracts, demonstrated inhibitory activity more than 50% on the metabolism mediated by CYP3A4, and 21 samples on the metabolism mediated by CYP2D6. Am...