Piper cubeba L.f. (common name: Sheetal Chini or Cubeb; English: cubeb/tailed pepper) is a perennial woody climber cultivated for its aromatic dried fruits (berries with a small stalk). The dried berries are pungent, slightly bitter and aromatic; they are used as a spice and in traditional medicine for digestive, respiratory, urinary and reproductive complaints.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Angiosperms
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Piperales
- Family: Piperaceae
- Genus: Piper
- Species: Piper cubeba L.f.
Common Names
- English: Cubeb, Tailed pepper, Java pepper
- Hindi: Kabab Chini, Sheetal Chini, Kankola (regional)
- Sanskrit: Kankola / Kakkola
- Urdu/Arabic/Persian (traditional names): Kabābchīnī / Hab-el-arus (regional variants)
- Regional Indian names: (examples) Kakkol (Assamese), Kababcheni (Bengali), Tokamiriyalu (Telugu)
Traditional and Medicinal Uses
- Digestive Uses: Traditionally used as a stomachic and carminative, it helps support digestion and provides relief from indigestion, gas, flatulence, and dyspepsia. In traditional medicine, it has also been used to manage enteritis, diarrhea, and amoebic dysentery.
- Respiratory Uses: In traditional herbal formulations, it is valued for its antitussive and expectorant properties, helping to ease cough, bronchitis, and symptoms associated with asthma.
- Urinary & Reproductive Uses: Traditionally utilized for various genitourinary disorders, including cystitis, dysuria, and gonorrhoeal infections. In some traditional systems, it is also used as an emmenagogue to support menstrual health.
- Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic & Antimicrobial Uses: Widely used in folk and classical medicinal practices to help relieve rheumatic pain, general body aches, and inflammation. It is also valued for its pain-relieving and antimicrobial properties, which help support the management of infections.
References
- Drissi, B., Mahdi, I., Yassir, M., Ben Bakrim, W., Bouissane, L., & Sobeh, M. (2022). Cubeb (Piper cubeba L. f.): A comprehensive review of its botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses, and pharmacological properties. Frontiers in Nutrition.
- Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API), Part I — Entry for Kankola (Piper cubeba L.f.). (Government of India; official pharmacopeial monograph describing botanical identity, part used, traditional actions and classical usage).
- Haribabu, K., et al. (2014). Hinokinin and other marker compounds from Piper cubeba; traditional uses and biological activities. (Review / article discussing phytochemistry and bioactivities).
- Kabābchīnī (Piper cubeba L.F.) — Review on Unani medicinal uses and pharmacological profile. (Recent review summarizing Unani/traditional uses and modern studies).
- Agrawal, N., et al. (2023). A review study on the multi-therapeutic potential of (-)-cubebin and related lignans from Piper cubeba. (Review summarizing lignan chemistry and pharmacology).
- Additional reviews and regional pharmacopeial/monograph sources summarizing essential oil composition, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities (selected review articles and survey studies).
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