PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDIES ON THE ROOTS OF PIPER NIGRUM L. III: DETERMINATION OF ESSENTIAL OIL AND PIPERINE

A total yield of 0.39% essential oil was gained from the root by distillation, and contents of trans- and ciscaryophyllene, -3-canene, humulene, limonene, pinene in the oil were 51.2, 6.76, 6.00, 3.76, 2.97, 1.35% respectively. A total yield of 0.79% piperine in the, root was determined by RP-HPLC: separately, 0.99% in the thin root (0.5 cm in diam.) and 0.14% in the thick root (3 cm in diam.); 0.44% in the cortex and 0.29% in the stele of a root in diam. of 2 cm were also determined. This is the first report about above chemicals in the root.