Peperomia pellucida

Scientific name: Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth

Botanical family: PIPERACEAE

Vernacular names

Other vernacular names

Dominica:

shine bush o z' herbe couesse
Zeb kwes

Dominican Republic:

Siempre fresca

Martinique:

zèb kourès, herbe couresse

Geographical distribution

Widely distributed in the tropics around the world.

Botanical description

Herbaceous erect or ascending plant, up to 35 cm, with a succulent stem. Alternate, thin, ovate, 15 to 25 mm leaves, acute or obtuse, slightly cordate or rounded at the base, with 5 main veins. Simple terminal spikes, axillary or opposite to the leaves, 2 to 5 cm; rounded-peltate bracts; tiny, sparse flowers. Fruit, subglobose or ellipsoid berries, 0.5 to 0.6 mm in diameter

Voucher(s)

Longuefosse&Nossin,27,HAVPMC Pimentel,102,JBSD
García,7536,JBSD
FLORPAN,F-6769,PMA
Graveson,1804,SLNH

The aerial parts of Peperomia pellucida are a food of relatively widespread human consumption.

For inflammation:
prepare a decoction or infusion with 30 grams of fresh aerial parts in 4 cups (1 litre) of water For decoctions, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel; for the infusion add the boiling water to the 30 grams of aerial parts, cover and leave to cool. Strain (filter) and drink 3 cups a day²⁰.

For mal de orines (burning sensation when urinating, cystitis):
prepare a decoction with 30 grams of fresh leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 3 cups a day for 5 days.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for inflammation and mal de orines is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity and validation studies and the scientific information available.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or the flu persists for more than 3 days, or mal de orines for more than 5 days, seek medical attention.

Traditionally contraindicated in children⁴.Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 5 years.

TRAMIL Work¹⁷
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (5 g/kg single dose), orally in Swiss mice (5 males and 5
females), with observation for 6 days after treatment, did not cause death or obvious signs of toxicity. The parameters
evaluated were not modified, and the macroscopic organ evaluation did not show any internal alterations.

TRAMIL Work¹⁸
The aqueous extract (30% decoction) from fresh leaves (9.6 mg/ml yield) and from dried and ground aerial parts (25.6 mg/ml yield, single dose of 2 ml/100 g equivalent to 6 g of plant material/kg body weight), orally in Sprague Dawley rats (3
males and 3 females) with an average weight of 200 g. In both trials the rats had an observation period of 24 hours and for 14 days, during which time there were no deaths or other manifestations of adverse clinical signs; the histopathological
studies showed no evidence of organ damage. The aqueous extract (decoction) from the dried aerial parts, orally in Swiss mice of both sexes, for 14 days, showed no change in behaviour or weight; DL50 > 5 g/kg15.

The freeze-dried aqueous leaf extract (125 mg/kg), orally in Swiss mice, did not induce mutagenicity¹⁹.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The whole plant contains flavonoids: acacetin, apigenin,
isovitexin, pellucidatin⁵, pellucidatin-8-neohesperidoside⁶; phenylpropanoids: apiol; steroids: campesterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and benzenoids: 2,4,5-trimethoxy styrene⁷. The compound pellucidin A was isolated from the methanolic extract of the aerial parts⁸.

The dried ethanolic leaf extract contains: proteins and amino acids, phenols and tannins, flavonoids, steroids and triterpenoids, azulenes, carotenoids, depsides and depsidones⁹.

Compounds were isolated from the whole plant: peperomins A, B, C, and E, hydroxymethyltetrahydrofuran, diacetoxymethyltetrahydrofuran, methylbutyrolactone, hydroxymethyltetrahydrofuran, naphthalenone, sesamin, and isoswertisin¹⁰.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of leaves11: calories: 25; water: 92.2%; protein: 0.50%; fat: 0.3%; carbohydrates: 5.9%; fibre: 1%; ash: 1.1%; calcium: 124 mg; phosphorus: 34 mg; iron: 3.2 mg; sodium: 8 mg; potassium: 277 mg; carotene: 2500 μg; thiamine: 0.03 mg; riboflavin: 0.07 mg; niacin: 0.60 mg; ascorbic acid: 10 mg.

TRAMIL Work¹²
The aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (1 mg/ml), in vitro, did not show activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella gallinarum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycobacterium smegmatis or Escherichia coli.

The aqueous leaf extract (dilution of 10:1, 10:2, 10:3 et 10:4) in vitro, showed activity against Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginas¹³.

The aqueous, ether and petroleum ether extract from the whole dried plant, in vitro, showed no activity against Aerobacter
aerogenes, Erwinia spp, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella
pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella enteritidis, Serratia
marcescens or Shigella flexneri¹⁴.

The dried ethanolic extract (95%), 6-day maceration, fresh leaves, in vitro, (500, 250, 125 and 62.5 μg/ml), disc diffusion method, showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 10145)⁹.

The aqueous extract, aerial parts (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg), orally in rats, showed significant dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity from a dose of 200 mg/kg and above in the carrageenan-induced leg oedema test. The same extract, route of administration and dosage in mice, in the acetic acid induced abdominal contortion test, the 400 mg/kg dose had the highest analgesic activity and in the hot plate test, the 100 mg/kg dose was better, indicating an analgesic effect¹⁵.

The methanolic extract (48-hour maceration), dried leaves, (15.2% yield; 70-210 mg/kg), orally in mice, acetic acid induced contortion model, showed significant analgesic activity¹⁶.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 CHARLES C, 1988
TRAMIL survey. Movement for Cultural Awareness MCA, Roseau, Dominica.
2 LONGUEFOSSE JL, NOSSIN E, 1990-95
Enquête TRAMIL. Asociation pour la valorisation des plantes médicinales de la Caraïbe AVPMC, Fort de France, Martinique.
3 JEAN-PIERRE L, 1988
TRAMIL survey. St Lucia national herbarium, Castries, St Lucia.
4 CASTILLO D, RODRIGUEZ S, DE LOS SANTOS C, BELEN A, 2003
Encuesta TRAMIL (region Este). Dep. de Botánica, Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana.
5 AQIL M, KHAN IZ, AHMAD MB, 1993
Flavonoids from Peperomia pellucida. Sci Phys Sci 5(2):213-215.
6 AQIL M, RAHMAN FA, AHMAD MB, 1994
A new flavonol glycoside from Peperomia pellucida. Sci Phys Sci 6(1):141-143.
7 MANALO JB, HAN BH, HAN YN, PARK MH, ANZALDO FE, 1983
Studies on other-soluble neutral compounds of Peperomia pellucida. Arch Pharm Res 6(2):133-136.
8 BAYMA J, ARRUDA MS, MÜLLER AH, ARRUDA AC, CANTO WC, 2000
A dimeric ArC2 compound from Peperomia pellucida. Phytochemistry 55(7):779-782.
9 MENDES LP, MACIEL KM, VIEIRA AB, MENDONÇA LC, SILVA RM, ROLIM NETO PJ, BARBOSA WL, VIEIRA JM, 2011
Atividade antimicrobiana de extratos etanólicos de Peperomia pellucida e Portulaca pilosa. Rev Ciênc Farm Básica Apl 32(1):121-125.
10 SU XU, NA LI, MENG-MENG NING, CAI-HONG ZHOU, QIAO-RONG YANG, MING-WEI WANG, 2006
Bioactive compounds from Peperomia pellucida. J Nat Prod 69(2):247-250.
11 DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986
Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press. p123.
12 OLMEDO D, RODRIGUEZ N, ESPINOSA A, VASQUEZ Y, GUPTA MP, 2005
Ensayo antimicrobiano de algunas especies con usos significativos TRAMIL-Centroamérica. Informe TRAMIL. Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Panamá.
13 AKINNIBOSUN HA, AKINNIBOSUN FI, GERMAN BE, 2008
Antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Peperomia pellucida (L.) H. B. & K. (Piperaceae) on three gram-negative bacteria isolates. Science World J 3(4):33-36.
14 SILPASUWON S, 1979
Studies of the effects of some medicinal plants on growth of some bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Ms.Thesis Res Chiangmai Univ, Thailand.
15 FATIMA ARRIGONI-BLANK M, DMITRIEVA EG, FRANZOTTI EM, ANTONIOLLI AR, ANDRADE MR, MARCHIORO M, 2004
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Peperomia pellucida (L.) HBK (Piperaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 91(2-3):215-218.
16 AZIBA PI, ADEDEJI A, EKOR M, ADEYEMI O, 2001
Analgesic activity of Peperomia pellucida aerial parts in mice. Fitoterapia 72(1):57-58.
17 GARCIA-GONZALEZ M, BARBOZA CJ, 2005
Toxicidad aguda (5000 mg/kg) dosis única, en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hojas frescas de Peperomia pellucida. Informe TRAMIL. PRONAPLAMED. Depto de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.
18 MARTINEZ MJ, MOREJON Z, LOPEZ M, BOUCOURT E, BARCELO H, LAYNEZ A, FUENTES V, MORON F, 2003
Clases Toxicidad Aguda (CTA) de partes aéreas secas de Peperomia pellucida (L.) H.B.K. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.
19 BALBOA JG, LIM-SYLIANCO CY, 1993
Antigenotoxic effects of drug preparations from Lagundi, Tsaang Gubat and Ulasimang Bato. Phillipp J Sci 122(1):1-13.
20 LONGUEFOSSE JL, 1995
100 Plantes médicinales de la Caraïbe. Guadeloupe: Gondwana Edition. p129.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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