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Black Pepper Essential Oil
Black Pepper Piper nigrum coming originally From the Malabar coast of India, black pepper is a perennial woody vine, which can grow as high as 6m or more, though cultivated plants are restricted to 4m. It is also commercially grown in other tropical regions, primarily Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the West Indies. The plant has leathery heart-shaped leaves and produces long clusters of small white flowers, followed by strings of green berries that ripen to an orange-red.
To produce the familiar black peppercorns, the unripe berries are gathered, then dried until they become dark and wrinkled If the fresh green berries are canned or preserved in brine or oil, they become the gourmet delicacy known as green peppercorns. Pink peppercorns, a speciality relish, are fresh, ripe berries preserved in vinegar. White peppercorns are ripe berries which, after drying, are soaked and cleaned to remove the dark husk. The inner part of the berry is then dried and becomes the greyish-white peppercorn.
As well as being extracted in the countries of origin, the essential oil is produced in Europe and America by steam distillation of the imported dried berries. The oil is a colourless to greenish liquid with a warm, dry, woody, piquant aroma. As you might expect, the odour effect is commonly perceived as warming and energizing. It’s also reputed to be an effective mental stimulant.
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The history of the spice trade is, above all, the history of pepper. We know that pepper was moving westwards from India over 4,000 years ago, for people have always found its pungent aroma tantalizing and irresistible. Since few savoury dishes throughout the world are regarded as complete without a pinch of pepper, it continues to be the most popular spice of all. Yet, it’s hard to imagine that pepper, which doesnt cost much today, was formerly a costly article of trade, and became of such enormous value that from ancient times it was used instead of coins to pay levies and taxes. It is said that in 408AD Attila the Hun demanded 3,000 pounds in weight of pepper as part of the ransom for the city of Rome. In the Middle Ages, there was a French saying, ‘as dear as pepper, while in England peppercorn rents were introduced, payment of rents being demanded in pounds of pepper.
As the demand for pepper increased, the price soared. This encouraged the Portuguese to seek a sea route to India and the Spice Islands, which resulted in Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the route around the Cape of Good Hope in 1498 the Portuguese then dominated the pepper trade until the 18th century when other countries found ways of sharing in the valuable trade.
In Chinese medicine, infusions of white peppercorns are used to treat malaria, cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea and weak digestion. By initially inducing perspiration, pepper eventually cools the body, which explains its traditional use as a febrifuge. In Western herbal medicine, black pepper tea has been used for flatulence, nausea, constipation and arthritic pain. Pepper’s beneficial effect on the digestive system is attributed to its main constituent, piperine (a water-soluble alkaloid that is absent from the essential oil), which stimulates saliva and gastric juices. Applied externally, the cooled infusion is said to be good for ringworm. In aromatherapy, black pepper essential oil reigns supreme in massage blends for muscular pain and stiffness, especially when combined with marjoram or rosemary. The oil is popular with dancers and athletes in helping to prevent pain and muscle fatigue. Black pepper can also be used in massage blends to ease arthritic and rheumatic pain, and to improve poot circulation.
Although the essential oil has a different chemistry from that of the whole spice, it still seems to help minor digestive ailments, such as flatulence, nausea and loss of appetite after illness. For such purposes, inhale a few drops of the oil from a tissue. By reflex action, the piquant aroma stimulates the flow of saliva and gastric juices, thereby aiding digestion. For colds and flu, black pepper is beneficial in steam inhalations, especially when blended with eucalyptus or marjoram. A single drop of the oil in a glass of water makes a good throat gargle. The cooking action of the distillation process renders the essential oil less fiery than the whole spice, so the gargle will not harm the throat. However. as it is a potential irritant, black pepper oil must always be used in low concentrations.
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Properties, Indications
and Uses: |
Properties: Anticatarrh, expectorant, gland stimulant and aphrodisiac.
Indicated for: Toothache, laryngitis, chronic bronchitis, rheumatism and sexual disability.
Uses: Wonderful ingredient in culinery aromatherapy, used especially when the pungency of Black Pepper berries causes digestive distress.
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| Toxicity: | LD50 - (oral) rat >g/kg; (dermal) rabbit >g/kg.
Irritation/Sensitisation - not known
Phototoxicity - Nil reported |
| Perfumery Uses: | Black Pepper oil can be used in perfumery for unusual effects, ie. with rose or carnation in oriental or floral fragrances |
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