Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), often referred to as the “King of Spices,” is one of the most economically important spice crops and a valuable medicinal plant with a long history of use in traditional systems of medicine. Besides its culinary significance, black pepper possesses a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties attributed to its rich phytochemical composition, particularly the alkaloid piperine and various volatile constituents. The present review comprehensively summarizes the ethnomedicinal importance, phytochemical profile, nutritional composition, and biological activities of black pepper and its major bioactive constituents. Piperine exhibits diverse pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anticancer, antimalarial, and bioavailability-enhancing activities, making it a promising lead compound for drug development. The review further highlights the industrial and pharmaceutical applications of black pepper in functional foods, nutraceuticals, herbal formulations, cosmetics, food preservation, and advanced drug delivery systems. In addition, the synthetic utility of pepper-derived constituents such as piperine, pellitorine, limonene, and related metabolites as valuable synthons in organic synthesis is discussed, emphasizing their role in the preparation of natural products, heterocyclic compounds, pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and biologically active molecules. Collectively, the available evidence underscores the immense therapeutic and synthetic potential of black pepper and supports its continued exploration as a source of novel bioactive compounds and sustainable chemical building blocks.
Publication Date: 2026-06-19