Filfil Siyāh (Piper nigrum): Medicinal importance in perspective of Unani medicine and pharmacological studies

Abstract

Piper nigrum is a perennial climbing shrub from Piperaceae family. Piper nigrum is native of the Indo-Malaysian region. Fruits of the piper (Filfil Siyāh) are used in Unani Medicine for the treatment of asthma, dyspepsia, piles, flatulence, skin diseases, respiratory diseases, toothache, fevers, and leukoderma. It is also used as carminative, liver and Gastric tonic, aphrodisiac, expectorant, emmenagogue etc. A variety of phytoconstituent are isolated from Filfil Siyāh which include alkaloids, essential oils, fats, safrol, tannic acid, amids etc. Various pharmacological studies on the plant have been done like antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antidepressant, digestive etc. The aim of the paper is to highlight the therapeutic applications as per description in Unani literature and scientific studies done on Piper nigrum.