20830 Piper Terms and Definitions at www.MedicalGlossary.org

Home > Organisms > Plants > Plant Families and Groups > Angiosperms > Piperaceae > Piper Terms and Definitions

Piper

Definition: A plant genus of the family PIPERACEAE that includes species used for spicy and stimulating qualities.
Notes: prefer specific plant; coord with specific PLANT COMPONENTS term if pertinent; for use in therapy coord IM with PHYTOTHERAPY (IM) + disease/drug ther (IM) + PLANT PREPARATIONS or its indentations/ther use (IM or NIM) + specific plant chemical /ther use (I
Also Called: Piper longum,Piper guineense,Piper cubeba

Piper Categories.
Kava - Dried rhizome and roots of Piper methysticum, a shrub native to Oceania and known for its anti-anxiety and sedative properties. Heavy usage results in some adverse effects. It contains ALKALOIDS; LACTONES; kawain, methysticin, mucilage, STARCH, and yangonin. Kava is also the name of the pungent beverage prepared from the plant's roots.
Piper betle - A plant genus of the family PIPERACEAE that is indigenous in the Indian Malay region and cultivated in Madagascar, and the West Indies. It contains chavibetol, chavicol and cadinene. The leaf is chewed as a stimulant, antiseptic and sialogogue. The common name of betel is also used for ARECA.
Piper nigrum - A plant species in the PIPERACEAE plant family. It is a common spice on foods and is used medicinally to increase gastrointestinal assimilation of other supplements and drugs. PIPERINE is a key component. Black pepper is picked unripe and heaped for a few days to ferment. White Pepper is the ripe fruit dehulled by maceration in water.

Piper Definitions and Terms

MedicalGlossary.org is designed as a free, browsable resource for all. The medical terms and definitions are not intended to replace medical informaion provided by licensed healthcare professionals. Please see a doctor if you need medical assistance. Don't see the medical term you were researching?  Send us an e-mail from our "about us" page.  We will do our best to research and classify new medical terms in a timely manner. Our current list of medical terms is over 26,000. Data sources include the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2004 Medical Subject Headings.

Copyright 2004 

Main Categories:
Anatomy
Organisms
Diseases
Chemicals and Drugs
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment
Psychiatry and Psychology
Biological Sciences
Physical Sciences
Anthropology, Education, Sociology and Social Phenomena
Technology and Food and Beverages
Humanities
Information Science Persons
Health Care
Geographic Locations