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Article: Black Pepper and its Pungent Principle-Piperine: A Review of Diverse Physiological Effects
- Article from:
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
- Article date:
- November 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Taylor & Francis Ltd. Nov 2007. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is one of the most widely used among spices. It is valued for its distinct biting quality attributed to the alkaloid, piperine. Black pepper is used not only in human dietaries but also for a variety of other purposes such as medicinal, as a preservative, and in perfum
ery. Many physiological effects of black pepper, its extracts, or its major active principle, piperine, have been reported in recent decades. Dietary piperine, by favorably stimulating the digestive enzymes of pancreas, enhances the digestive capacity and significantly reduces the gastrointestinal food transit time. Piperine has been demonstrated in in vitro studies to protect against oxidative ...