The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Black pepper (Golmorich) is one of the most popular spices in our country. It largely grows in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaya and other south-east Asian countries. Compared to Malaya, Cambodia and other countries, black pepper (Golmorich) yield in India on the whole is poor. The same case is in Bangladesh. Its weather does not favour to yield high quality pepper in this country. It is nearly globular in shape, about 4-5 mm. in diameter with a characteristic coat with deep set wrinkles. Black pepper consists of the dried, fully developed unripe fruits. On the other hand, white pepper (sada gol-morich) consists of dried ripe fruits, freed of their pericarp.

Botanical name of Golmorich is Piper nigrum. Pepper fruits are used mainly after drying as black pepper and after processing into white pepper. Black and white pepper are among the major condiments employed for seasoning freshly cooked and prepared foods. In USA and other western countries they are used mainly for preserving meat. Over half of the American consumption pepper is reported to go into the meat industry for curing and preservation of meat. The whole fruits are added to pickles, certain types of sausages, etc but the bulk of the products is generally ground before use.

Black pepper is mostly used for its characteristic delicate penetrating aroma and pungent, biting taste. White pepper has a similar flavour, but is less pungent. On grinding white pepper yields a product low ash and fibre contents and very little pungency. Pepper owes its characteristics pungency and aroma to its oleoresin which can be obtained by extracting the crushed, not fully ripe fruits with volatile solvents. The characteristic aromatic odour of pepper is due to the presence of a volatile oil in the cells of the pericarp.

Starch is the predominant constituent of pepper. In accounts for 34.1 percent in black pepper, 56.5 percent in white pepper and 63.2 percent in decorticated white pepper. Analysis of black pepper gave: moisture 13.2; protein 11.5; fat 6.8; fibre 14.9; carbohydrates 492; mineral matter 4.4%; calcium 460; phosphorus 198; phytin phosphorus 115; iron 16.8; ionisable iron 3.2; thiamine .009; riboflavin 0.14; and nicotinic acid 1.4 mg 100 g; vitamin A value 1800 I.U 100 g (Nutritive value of Indian foods, 65,101, 131, The Wealth Of India, Raw Materials)

Medicinal Properties: The fruit is pungent, bitter; hot, anthelmintic, alterative; useful in "kapha" and "vata", asthma, pains, diseases of the throat, piles, urinary discharges, ozoena, night blindness; increases biliousness; brings on sleep and epileptic fits (Ayurveda). The fruit has a sharp, pungent, slightly bitter taste; carminative, bechic, aphrodisiac, purgative, alexipharmic; useful in toothache, inflammation, pain in the liver and the muscles, diseases of the spleen, eructations, leucoderma, lumbago, chronic fevers, paralysis; facilitates menstruation; dries the humours of the body (Yunani).

Pepper is much employed as an aromatic stimulant in cholera, weakness following fevers, vertigo, coma; as a stomachic in dyspepsia and flatulence; as an antiperiodic in malarial fever; and as an alterative in paraplegia and arthritic diseases. Externally it is valued for its rubefacient properties, and as a local application for relaxed sore-throat, piles, and some skin diseases. In China, pepper is considered an energetic stimulant, diaphoretic, and carminative. It is used as a cure for dysentery in Cambodia. Black pepper is sometimes used by Malay women as an abortifacient (Indian Medicinal Plants, (Kirt. & Basu, III, 2134).

Medicinal Values: Sanskrit authors describe black pepper as acrid, pungent, hot, dry, carminative and useful in intermittent fever, haemorrhoids, and dyspepsia. It is generally prescribed in combination with long pepper and ginger, under the name of trikatu or the three acrids. Dutt states that very few Sanskrit prescriptions are free from these three, which, however appear frequently to be added without reason, and sometimes only for the sake of rhyme. Externally it is used as a rubefacient in alopecia and skindiseases (Mat. Med. Hind). Dymock informs us that Muhammedan writers describe the spice as deobstruent, resolvent, and alexipharmic. It is prescribed by them internally as a nervine tonic and applied externally in paralytic affections, while in toothache it is used as a mouthwash. It is esteemed as a tonic and digestive, and is believed to be diuretic, emmenagogue, and a good stimulant in cases of bites from venomous reptiles.

In modem Indian medicine the properties assigned to the drug by Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic writers are still believed in. It is much employed as an aromatic stimulant in cholera, weakness following fevers, vertigo, coma; as a stomachic in dyspepsia and flatulence; as an antiperiodic in malarial fever, and as an alterative in paraplegia and arthritic diseases. Externally it is valued for its rubefacient properties, and as local application for relaxed sore-throat, piles, and some skin diseases. According to Dymock, abortive pepper-corns known as poklimiri, have long been known and used by the Hindus. Garcia d'Orta notices them under the name of "Canarese Pepper" and observes that they are valued by the natives as a medicine to purge the brain of phlegm, to relieve toothache.

Pepper was the one of the earliest spices used in Europe, both as a condiment and medicine. In the fourth century B.C. Theophrastus noticed two kinds of pepper, probably the black pepper and long pepper of modem times. Dioscorides knew pepper to be a production of India and was acquainted with white pepper. Pliny, Arrian and others also mention it (Pharmacographia). Many writers of the early middle ages refer to the spice, all describing it as coming from Male or Malabar. Perhaps the earliest to accurately describe the extent of its cultivation and uses was Linschoten, whose friend and commentator Paludanus enters into a long dissertation on its medicinal virtues. "It warmeth the mawe", he writes, "consumeth the cold slymenes thereof, to ease the payna in the mawe which proceedth of rawnesse and winde, it is good to eat five pepper cones everie morning. He that hath a bad or thick sight, let him use pepper cones, with annis, fennel seed and cloves for thereby the mystinesse of the eyes which darken the sight is cleared and driven away". But in modem European medicine it is very little used, being rarely prescribed except indirectly as an ingredient of some compound preparation.

Special Opinions: "Made into infusion and given in colic and cholera" (Surgeon H.D. Masani, Ighghdf, Bo.N.I., Karachi). "Stimulant, carminative, antiperiodic; dose 5 to 20 grains; used in intermittent fever debility, haemonnoids, prolapsus ani, gonorrhoea and cholera" (Chunna Hall Hospital Assistant Subbulpore). "It is used extensively as an external application to inflammation".(Civii Surgeon S. McConaghey, M.D., Shajahanpore). "A very strong decoction of pepper given in that stage of cholera in which all vomiting and purging ceases and the abdomen becomes tympanitic affords great relief (Surgeon Major D.R. Thompson, M.D., C.I.E., Madras). "Valuable carminative and stomachic, highly useful in indigestion and dyspepsia. Forms a useful ingredient in tooth powder" (Assistant Surgeon S.C. Bhattacharji, Chanda). "Black pepper powder mixed with ghi is said to be a useful application in cases of urticaria" (Surgeon Joseph Parker, M.D. Poona). "Used as antiperiodic, also in haemorrhoids and cholera" (Assistant Surgeon Nehal Sing, Saharampore). "It is a useful application to boils and pimples. It is carminative, antacic and stomachic, and is used in dyspepsia, diarrhoea and indigestion" (Brigade Surgeon T.H. Thornton, B.H., M.B., Monghyr). "Aromatic, stimulant and stomachic. Combined with calumba and bismuth it is useful in dispepsia also with asafetida and camphor in the flatulent of dyspepsia" (Civil Surgeon S.M. Shircore, Murshedabad) (Dictionary of The Economic Products of India).