Tailed Pepper, also known as Cubeb, is a perennial plant having outstanding medicinal properties. It is mostly cultivated for its essential oils and fruits. The fruits or berries of the plants are gathered before they are ripe and are dried before consumption. The fruits resemble black pepper except the stalks attached to them. Thus these are known as tailed pepper. The stems of these plants are climbers and the branches are round. They exhibit rooting at the joints. At the end of the branches, the flowers are arranged in the form of spikes. The leaves of the plants are 4.6 to 5 inches long and 1.5 to 2 inches wide. They have a smooth surface and are ovate-oblong, pointed and long in shape.
Fruits of Tailed Pepper Plant
Sanskrit texts of India have mentioned various medicinal uses of tailed pepper plants. Sushruta and Charaka have illustrated the benefits of using the paste of tailed peppers as mouthwash. The dried berries are also remedial in dental or oral diseases, fevers, halitosis and cough. The plant possesses alleged warming property for which it forms a part of several medicines. The extract of berries when used in small amount with other drugs alleviates bronchitis. The antiseptic property of tailed pepper plant is also prominent and can be best seen in the treatment of Gonorrhea. The berries are also effective in curing throat problems.
Essential Oils of Tailed Pepper Plant
The berries of tailed pepper plant contain volatile oils rich in Sesquiterpenes, Monoterpenes, alcohol cubebol and some oxides. They exhibit excellent medicinal properties. In ancient times, tailed pepper plants also found utility in making medicinal cigarettes for chronic Pharyngitis, Asthma and hay fever. The essential oils of the plants were the main ingredients in these cigarettes which had medicinal properties. These oils also act as cooling and refreshing agent and are thus frequently used in toothpaste, drinks, sorbets and gelatin-based confectioneries.
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