Indian Medicinal Plants/Natural Order Piperaceæ

Syn. :--Chavica Roxburghii, Miq.

Sans. : — Pippali.

Vern. ;— Pipul (H. and B.); Pippul-chittoo (Tel.) ; Pipili (Tam.); Bangálî-pim-pali (Bomb.).

Habitat :— Hotter provinces of India, from East Nepal to Assam, the Khasia Mts. and Bengal, westward to Bombay and southward to Travancore.

Root-stock erect, thicker pointed, branched. Stems herbaceous, numerous, creeping below ; young shoots downy, branches prostrate or creeping with broad, glabrous leaves. Flowering shoots erect. Branches soft, angular and grooved when dry. Leaves generally membranous. Lower leaves 2-3in., ovate, cordate, often rounded ovate, acuminate, 7-nerved ; sinus rounded, but narrow ; basal lobes equal ; petiole l-3in. Upper leaves narrower, oblong, cordate, sessile, amplexicaul ; 2-5in. basal lobes often unequal. Spikes simple, solitary. Flowers dioecious. Male spikes l-3in., female ½-⅔in. broad, 1-1½in. long, blackish-green, shining, short, sub-erect. Fruit about 1/10in. diam., in dense cylindric, rarely globose spikes.

Uses :— Like Black Pepper, it contains a volatile oil, an acrid resin and piperine ; and, like it, it possesses stimulant carminative properties, but more powerful. Its chief use is as a condiment. Dr. Herklots reports favourably of the following Mahomedan nostrum in the treatment of beri-beri : Take of Long Pepper, bruised, four ounces; Black Pepper and ​ Ginger, of each half an ounce ; Arrack, twenty ounces. Macerate for seven days and strain. Dose, a drachm twice or thrice daily. A powerful stimulant, with probably no special claim to notice. The root is in great repute amongst the natives of India ; it is the Peepla-mool of the " Táleef Shereef " (p. 55, No. 275), where it is described as bitter, stomachic and useful in promoting digestion. In Travancore, an infusion of the root is prescribed after parturition, with the view of causing the expulsion of the placenta. It appears to partake, in a minor degree, of the stimulant properties of the fruit (Ph. Ind.).

As an alternative tonic, long pepper is recommended for use in a peculiar manner. An infusion of three long peppers is to be taken with honey on the first day, then for ten successive days the dose is to be increased by three peppers every day, so that on the tenth day the patient will take thirty at one dose. Then the dose is to be gradually reduced by three daily, and finally the medicine is to be omitted. Thus administered, it is said to act as a valuable alterative tonic in paraplegia, chronic cough, enlargements of the spleen and other abdominal viscera. Long pepper enters into the composition of several irritating snuffs; boiled with ginger, mustard oil, buttermilk and curds it forms a liniment used in sciatica and paralysis. In the Concan, the roasted aments are beaten up with honey and given in rheumatism ; they are also given powdered with black pepper and rock salt (two parts of long pepper, three of black, and one of salt) in half tola doses in colic. Mahometan writers, under the name of Darfilfil, describe long pepper as a resolvent of cold humours ; they say it removes obstructions of the liver and spleen, and promotes digestion by its tonic properties; moreover, it is aphrodisiacal, diuretic, and emmenagogue. Both it and the root (Filfil-muiyeh) are much prescribed in palsy, gout, lumbago, and other diseases of a similar nature. A collyrium of long pepper is recommended for night blindness ; made into a liniment, it is applied to the bites of venomous reptiles. (Dymock).

Sans. :--Chavika. ​ Vern. :— Chab (H.) ; Chai, choi (B.) ; Kankala (Bomb.).

Habitat : — Cultivated in various parts of India.

A stout, climbing herb, quite glabrous. Stem rooting. Branches flexuous, terete, hard, finely striate when dry, pale. Leaves 5-7 by 2½-3½in., rather coriaceous, pale when dry, shining above, oblong, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, 3-5- nerved at the very obliquely cordate, auricled base, penni-nerved above it ; 3-6 pair nerves above the basal nerves. Nervules arching. Petiole ¼-½in. Fruiting spikes stoutly peduncled, sub-erect, conico-cylindric, l-2in. long,-½in. diam., broadest at the base, obtuse, forming a fleshy cone of innumerable fruits, ⅛in. diam. The alternate nerves of the main portion of the leaf all starting from the midrib are very characteristic of the species (J. D. Hooker).

Uses : — It partakes of the stimulant and carminative properties of Black and Long Pepper, but does not appear to possess any special claim to notice. Its use in hæmorrhoidal affections is noticed in the " Tâleef Shereef," p. 66. No. 340. (Ph. Ind.)

Vern. : — Pahâri pîpal (B.).

Habitat : —Upper and Lower Assam ; jheels of Bengal.

A low, creeping herb, glabrous. Stem flaccid, angular, succulent, several feet long, contracting much in drying. Branches short, erect or ascending, flexuous. Leaves rarely puberulous on the nerves beneath, lower 3 by 2½-3in., nerves slender ; upper as long but narrower ; membranous, long-petioled, broadly ovate or ovate-cordate, acuminate, 5-7- nerved from the base or the linear pair, higher, inserted. Upper leaves elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, shorter-petioled. Petioles of lower leaves 2-4in. Spikes shortly peduncled. Male spikes slender, 2-3in., clothed with peltate bracts. Stamens generally 4 (Roxburgh finds 2 ). Anthers reniform ; cells confluent, dehiscing over the crown ; fruiting females always erect, ⅔-1½in. Fruit free, 1/6-⅛in. diam. ​ Use : — The fruit is used by the natives of Bengal as a carminative similarly to long-pepper (Watt).

Syn. : — Chavica Betle, Miq.

Sans : — Tâmbûla.

Vern. : — Pân (H. and B.) ; Vettilee (Tam.) ; Tamal-pakoo (Tel.) ; nâgavela (Bom.) ; Vetta (Mal.).

Habitat : — Cultivated in the hotter and damper parts of India.

Stems and branches stout, climbing, compressed when coriaceous, ovate ; base usually cordate and unequal-sided ; blade 3-8in. ; petiole ½-lin. Supra-basal nerves alternate. Spikes, male 3-6in., female longer, peduncled and longer than the leaves. Fruiting spike cylindric, pendulous, l-5in. long, stout. Fruit 1/6-¼in. diam. very fleshy and often confluent into a cylindric red mass. Most plants female, says Brandis.

The ancient Hindu writers recommended that betel-leaf should be taken early in the morning, after the morning, after meals and at bed-time. According to Susruta, it is aromatic, carminative, stimulant, and astringent. It sweetens the breath, improves the voice, and removes all foulness from the mouth. According to other writers it acts as an aphrodisiac. Medicinally it is said to be useful in diseases supposed to be caused by deranged phlegm, and it's juice is much used as an adjunct to pills administered in these diseases, the pills being rubbed into an emulsion with the juice of the betel-leaf and licked up. Being always at hand, Pan leaves are used as a domestic remedy in various ways. The stalk of the leaf smeared with oil is introduced into the rectum in constipation and tympanitis of children, with the object of inducing the bowels to act. The leaves are applied to the temples in headache for relieving pain, to painful and swollen glands for promoting absorption, and to the mammary gland with the object of checking the secretion of milk. Pan leaves are used as a ready dressing for foul ulcers, which seem to improve under them." (U. C. Dutt.) ​ " Its leaves, in conjunction with lime and the nut of Areca Catechu, are almost universally employed as a masticatory. The juice of the leaves is regarded as a valuable stomachic. Amongst the Indo-Britons of Southern India a use is made of the leaves, which merits notice. In catarrhal and pulmonary affections generally, especially of children, the leaves warmed and smeared with oil are applied in layers over the chest ; and the Editor, from personal observation in many instances, can testify to the relief afforded to the cough and dyspnœa, far more than can be accounted for by the warmth and exclusion of air, or by any rubefacient effect it produces, which, indeed, is very slight in most cases. Dr. Gibson, who corroborates this statement, states that he has often seen the application afford marked relief in congestion and other affections of the liver. Mr. J. Wood reports that the leaves warmed by the fire and applied in layers over the mammas are used effectually for arresting the secretion of milk. Their use in this manner is also noticed by Dr. J. Shortt, who adds that the leaves are similarly employed as a resolvent to glandular swellings" (Ph. Ind.).

An essential oil obtained from the leaves by distillation at Samarang, by Herr Schmity, has been credited by him with having given good results in the treatment of catarrhal disorders and as an antiseptic, and the claim has been confirmed in the experience of Dr. Kleinstuck, of Jena (Ph. J., Oct. 2, 1886, p. 268, also Ph. J. for 20th Nov., 1889, p. 423).

In the Konkan, the fruit is employed with honey as a remedy for cough, and in Orissa, the root is said to be used to prevent child-bearing.

" The juice of the leaves is dropped into the eye in painful affections of that organ ; it is also used to relieve cerebral congestions and satyriasis, and to allay thirst (Dr. Thompson, in Watt's Dict.)." The juice of the leaves is dropped into the eye in night-blindness (B. D. Basu).

Messrs. H. H. Mann, D. L. Sahasrabuddhe and V. G. Patwardhan of Poona have published in Memoirs of Depart, of Agric. in India," for July, 1913 and June 1916, their ​ interesting studies in the chemistry and physiology of the leaves of the Betel- Vine. According to them —

The younger leaves on the plant contain much more essential oil, much more diastase, and much more sugars than those which are older. On the other hand, the tannin does not vary in this direction. The leaves both on the middle branches and on the middle part of the main vine contain slightly the largest quantity of ' tannin.' * * * *

Nearly all the work done (except that of Eykman) has been done in Europe on dried leaves— and all, except the original preparation of Kemp, on Java or Siam oils. Our results differ considerably from those published hitherto, and we will simply indicate those which we have obtained.

As to the conclusions regarding the essential oil of betel- leaf, they say —

The essential oil of betel leaf consists essentially of two portions, consisting respectively of phenols and of terpene-like bodies. The relative proportion of these varies, and the higher the quality of the leaf, the higher the "proportion of phenols in the essential oil. The proportion of phenols in our samples varied from 42 per cent. (Poona) to 70 per cent. (Ramtek kapuri) in green leaves of the light green variety, and from 39 per cent, to 45 per cent, in green leaves of the dark green variety. The bleaching of the leaves not only increases very much the total quantity of the essential oil, but also the proportion of the phenols in it. In two cases where bleaching was carried out, the increase in the percentage of phenols was from 17 to 33 per cent.

The phenols consist essentially of eugenol in all our cases, mixed with a small percentage of betel phenol. The latter can be largely separated by washing the phenols with water in which it is very much more soluble than eugenol. No sign of any substance having the properties attributed to chavicol has been found in any of our samples.

The nonphenolic portion of the essential oil is a mixture of a number of substances as yet univestigated. Over 60 per cent, boils between 240° and 255°C. This has a light green colour, and a somewhat objectionable smell. It is not cadinene or caryophyllene.

They conclude their interesting studies as follows : —

We have shown the character of the leaf which is required for chewing, and have found more clearly than ever that it is the quantity, and also the character, of the essential oil which seems most largely to determine the value of any sample of betel vine leaf for this purpose.

The essential oil itself, however, is not always the same. It consists of a mixture of certain phenols and of certain terpene-like constituents. As far as the phenols are concerned, eugenol is always the chief constituent in Indian oils, mixed with a small quantity of betel phenol. We have never found chavicol in Indian oils. The best essential oil, from a point of view of public taste, is that which contains as large a proportion of phenols as possible. Those varieties of leaf which give an essential oil containing much terpene, are very pungent, but are looked upon as very coarse. Bleaching not only ​increases the amount of essential oil in the leaf, but also increases the proportion of phenols in the essential oil. The nature of the terpene-like constituents is still unknown, but will be investigated at the first opportunity.

Vern. : — Golmirch, kâlî-mirch, habsh, choca mirch, white form =saféd- mirch (Hind.); Muricha, kâlâ-morich, gôl-morich (Beng.) ; Spôt (Bhote) ; Martz (Kashmir) ; Gol-mirch (Pb.) ; Dârugarm, daurgarm, march (Afg.) ; Gûlmirien (Sind) ; Miri, kalamiri, white form = saféd-miri (Bomb.); Kâlîmirch, miré (Mar.); Kâlâmari, kâlo-mirich, miri (Guz.) ; Choca, kali mirchingay, Milâgu (Tam.) ; Miryâla tîge, miriyâlu (Tel.") ; Menasu, kare menasu, molû-vukodi, mirialu (Kan.) ; Lada, kuru mulaka (Malay).

Habitat :— Native in the forests of the Circars and of Assam and Malabar ; cultivated in hot damp parts of India.

A stout climber. Branches trailing and rooting at the nodes, terete, quite glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, 5-7 by 2-5in., sometimes glaucous beneath, usually broadly ovate, oblong or nearly orbicular; base acute, rounded or cordate, equal or unequal, nerves stout, alternate, 2-3 pair basal, with another pair higher up which run to the tip (J. D. Hooker). Suprabasal nerves, says Brand is, usually alternate. " Basal nerves 3-5." Petiole ½-l½in , stout. Bracts of female short, cupular, wholly adnate, without raised margins. Flowers usually diœcous, but often the female bears 2 anthers or the male a pistillode. Anthers 2-celled. Fruiting spikes loose, glabrous, variable in length and robustness, slightly interrupted, drooping 4-6in. long (Brandis). Fruit globose, sessile, red when ripe ; pulp thin.

Uses :— It is officinal in both Pharmacopeias, and its uses are too well known to be mentioned here.

​

(Upload an image to replace this placeholder.)

(Upload an image to replace this placeholder.)

(Upload an image to replace this placeholder.)

(Upload an image to replace this placeholder.)