Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth: Traditional medicinal and its bioactivity

Abstract

Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth (Piperaceae) has been long used as food ingredient and traditional medicine. This study aims to explain botany, utilization and bioactivity of P. pellucida. The method used in this study is library research on various research results published online, especially on Google Scholar, using the keywords P. pellucida, uses P. pellucida and bioactivities P. pellucida. That information is synthesized which explain the benefits and bioactivity of P. pellucida in a comprehensive manner. The P. pellucida is an annual herb that easily found in surrounding environment, especially in humid places as a wild plant. P. pellucida is very potential as a source of protein and its rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron as the main elements. In traditional medicine P. pellucida is used to treat headaches, kidney disease, fever, and wound hypertension, boils, acne, abscesses, stomach pain, colic, gout, kidney, rheumatic pain, headache, fatigue, malaria, treat bleeding, fever, lower cholesterol, cough suppressant and diuretic. The P. pellucida has activity as antihypertensive, antidiabetic mellitus, antiosteoporosis, antimicrobial, analgesic, antioxidant. Peperochromen-A compounds have anti-diabetic activity and flavonoids as anti-hypertensive and anti-microbial. Bioctivity of P. pellucida as anti-microbial and hypertension can be developed as a nutraceutical.