Traditional Uses, Chemical Profile and Biological Activities of Piper hispidum Sw.: a Review

Abstract

Piper hispidum Sw. (Piperaceae) (syn. Piper hispidinervum) is a medicinal shrub distributed in Central and South America, widely used as an astringent, diuretic, stimulant for unblocking the liver and stopping hemorrhages. The plant has great interest among researchers due to the production of essential oil and important raw material for the chemical industry, which has a high demand for cosmetic, insecticide, and pesticide industries. In this review, traditional uses, phytochemicals, and biological activities of P. hispidum are comprehensively and systematically summarized through searching scientific databases, including Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Phytochemical studies revealed the presence of amides, benzoic acids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, butenolides, phenol, and essential oils; hence it has several activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, α-amylase, insecticidal, schistosomicidal, leishmanial, larvicidal, antiplasmodial, cytotoxicity, estrogenic and serotonergic properties. This review is expected to draw the attention of medical professionals and the general public towards P. hispidum as well as to open the door for detailed research in the future.