The Ashanti Pepper (aka West African Black Pepper, Uziza; Piper guineense) has long been used as a spice and in traditional medicine in Africa.
An evergreen climbing vine up to 13-65 feet tall, it climbs on other trees or plants by use of adventitious roots. The Ashanti Pepper is a native of Central and Western Africa, but also sometimes cultivated or used as an ornamental elsewhere.
As it contains piperine (5-8%), it has a characteristic “peppery” flavor, but is sweeter with its own unique flavor and aroma. Major compounds identified in the essential oil were β-sesquiphellandrene (20.9%), linalool (6.1%), limonene (5.8%), Z-β-bisabolene (5.4%) and α-pinene (5.3%). However, there is some evidence of different chemotypes or variance in chemical composition due to geographic location, such as a prevalence of myristicin, safrole and elemincin.
Ashanti Pepper is used in West African cuisine (usually harvested from the wild or bought in markets), but also used sparingly, as it is an expensive spice, even there.
There is interest in potentially developing this spice further for export markets, as it shows good conservation and development potential, as well as being a spice that isn’t too far of a stretch of the imagination for people in western markets due to its similarity to black pepper.
Besides the fruits, which are the main product used as a spice, the leaves are also used as a spice or in cuisine traditionally.
Medicinally, the Ashanti Pepper fruits, leaves and the roots are used in preparations. The roots are used as an aphrodisiac, as well as a chewing stick for cleaning teeth. The fruits and leaves are used for treating dysentery, cough, bronchitis, rheumatism, and infertility in both men and women. It is also used in traditional medicine to treat mental illness and for weight loss/obesity.
The Ashanti Pepper is astringent, antimicrobial, antifungal and used for healing the wounds and inflammation of the mucus membranes and digestive tract.
Through scientific investigation, the essential oil has been found to have interesting psychoneuropharmacological activities, such as CNS depressant, hypothermic, sedative, muscle relaxant, antipsychotic and anticonvulsant activities. The CNS activities of the Ashanti were suggested through research to be due to the alteration of GABA at the GABAA–benzodiazepine receptor complex pathway, or due to inhibition of dopamine neurotransmission at D1/D2 receptors. It has also been found to have antioxidant, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and hypokalaemic activities.
Other studies found potential applications for Ashanti Pepper extracts to be used as food preservatives and as fungicides for local farmers.
hashtag#MedicinalPlantshashtag#Ethnopharmhashtag#Ethnobotanyhashtag#piperhashtag#Africa
Photo by User:Fornax