Traditional Ethnomedical and Ethnobotanical Applications and Uses of Piper Nigrum

Ethnomedicine and ethnobotany have been at the forefront of current scientific focus. The focus of this review is Piper nigrum, for which there exists a wide host of traditional ethnomedical and ethnobotanical applications, recorded mostly from India and the surrounding regions where black pepper is native. These applications cover a wide range of pathologies, including cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, gynaecological, endocrine, integumentary and neurological, and viral diseases and colds. While some of these applications are confirmed by modern research, the majority have not been tested using modern scientific methods, and perhaps many more applications remain to be documented. Finally, it must be noted that some interesting non medical applications comprise the application of black pepper, as an insecticide/larvicide, are worth further consideration, especially given the newer policies at a European and international level.