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A Phytochemical and Ethnopharmacological Review of the Genus Piper: as a Potent Bio-Insecticide

Vianey R Torres-Pelayo*, Ma. Socorro Fernandez, Oscar Carmona-Hernandez, Jorge Molina-Torres and J.Armando Lozada-Garcia1

The genus Piper is of great significance to a commercial and economic level into the flavoring, pharmaceutical and insecticide industry, and great traditional use. Some species of this genus have been well explored. The aim of this review is to provide comprehensive information in the fields of Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Piper in order to explore its therapeutic potential and future research opportunities as a possible bio-insecticide in Mexico. All the available information material about the genus Piper was collected via electronic research: Pubmed, SciFinder, Scirus and Google Scholar; also a library research for articles published in peerreviewed Journals, thesis and books. Several species of the genus Piper were found in Mexico and they are used ethnomedically, such as Piper auritum, Piper aduncum L. H.B. & K.; Piper nudum C. DC., Piper hispidum Swartz, Piper sanctum Schiltdl. ex Miq., Piper umbellatum L., Piper psilorhachis C. DC., Piper diandrum C. DC., and Piper amalago L. Phytochemical research on Piper genus has found alkaloids, pterocarpans, sterols, flavonoids, triterpenoid, saponines, phenylethylamines and amines. The genus Piper have showed a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities in vitro and in vivo, and insecticide activities. However, there is a need to research for individual secondary metabolites responsible of these actions, and to study the way they act, as well as physiological pathways in detail. Piper has emerged as a good source of traditional medicine and it exhibits a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities and among other biological properties, who could be a possible bio-insecticide in Mexico.