Maricha / Black Pepper

Botanical Name

Piper Nigrum

Family

Piperaceae

Sanskrit

Chavyam, Kankola, Hapusha, Krsna, Marica, Sarvahita, Tikshna, Mrishta

English

Pepper, Black Pepper, White Pepper

Hindi

Chocamirch, Kali Mirch, Gumirch

Kannada

Menasinaballi, Ollemenasu, Miri

Malayalam

Cattu-Molagoi, Kolakam, Kurumulaka

Telugu

Miriyalu, Miriyamu, Marichamu

Tamil

Aguttuam, Arisu, Kallinai, Kari, Karyam

Marathi

Kalamiri, Mireem, Meerveela

Distribution

Black pepper is cultivated mostly as a mixed crop. Widely cultivated in south-western india, western ghats of karnataka, kerala, and tamil nadu.

Parts Used

Fruit

Dose

½ To 1 Gram

Chemical Constituents

pipercide, trichostachine, methylenedioxcycinnamic, piperettine, citronellol, cryptone, piperonal, camphene, pipecolic acid, cryptone, piperonal, threonine, ascorbic acid, carotene.

Ayurvedic Properties

Quality (Guna)

Laghu, Tikshana

Taste (Rasa)

Kstu

Metabolism (Vipaka)

Katu

Potency (Virya)

Ushna

Impact (Prabhava)

Deepana

Pharmacological Action

  • Antioxidant, pesticidal, muscle relaxant, antipyretic.
  • Antiinflammatoy, sedative, analgesic properties of maricha helps in treating inflammations.
  • Hepatoprotective property of pepper is helpful in treating various metabolic disorders like indigestion, and even it acts as carminative.
  • Antimicrobial, insecticidal, and antifungal properties of maricha helps in treating skin infections.
  • Antiulcer.
  • When maricha is used with some medications, its lipolytic action will help to treat hyperlipidemia.
  • Anticonvulsant properties are helpful in treating epilepsy.

Therapeutic Uses

  • Digestive.
  • Salivatory.
  • Expectorant properties of black pepper helps in treating cough.
  • Gives strength and vitality.
  • Various abdominal disorders like colic, and indigestion.
  • Essential oil of black pepper or maricha helps in enhancing blood circulation.

Some of the common formulations

  • Abhaya lavan.
  • Amritarishta.
  • Bilvadi gutika.
  • Chitraka haritaki.
  • Dashamula taila.
  • Guduchyadi modaka.
  • Hingvashtaka churna.
  • Eladi ghrita.
  • Icchabhedi rasa.
  • Chandraprabha vati.
  • Dadimashtaka churna.
  • Tribhuvanakirti rasa.
  • Trikatu churna.
  • Ushirasava.
  • Sutasekhar rasa.
  • Rasnadi churna.
  • Punarnava guggulu.