Piper auritum

Scientific name: Piper auritum Kunth

Botanical family: PIPERACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Cuba:

caisimón de anís

Other vernacular names

Cuba:

Caisimón de anis
Caisimón de anís

Geographical distribution

Native to southeastern Mexico and Central America, cultivated and naturalised in Cuba and Florida.

Botanical description

Aromatic, 2 to 3 m shrub with soft wood. Ovate or oblong-ovate leaves up to 60 cm long, acute to short, acuminate at the apex, cordate at the base, basal lobes rounded, markedly uneven.
Pale green spikes, 10 to 20 cm long; bracts rounded and densely ciliate. Small fruits grouped on the spikes.

Voucher(s)

Fuentes,4749,ROIG

For rheumatism:
prepare a decoction or infusion with 30 grams of fresh leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water. For decoction, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. For the infusion, add the boiling water to the 30 grams of leaves and cover. Leave to settle for 5 minutes, cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 2 to 3 times a day for 1 to 2 weeks.

wash the fresh leaves adequately, heat them slightly over a fire and apply to the affected area for 4 hours, covering with a clean dressing or cloth.

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

According to the information available:

The use of the fresh leaves for rheumatism is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity studies and the scientific information available.

All topical application must follow strict hygiene measures in order to prevent contamination or additional infection.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or if the inflammation or pain persists for more than 2 days, seek medical attention.

Not for use during pregnancy because it can cause miscarriage, nor while breastfeeding or in children under 12 years of age.

TRAMIL Work¹²
The aqueous extract (30% decoction), yield of 20.23 mg/ml, freeze-dried, fresh leaves, in vitro (4, 40 and 400 mg total solids/ml), mitotic segregation induction genotoxicity test system in Aspergillus nidulans D30, negative control (water), showed no toxic or genotoxic effect.

TRAMIL Work¹³
The hydroalcoholic extract (45%) from dried leaves (9.7% total solids) in single increasing doses of 412, 824 and 1650 mg/kg (mg total solids per kg body weight) orally in mice, showed no genotoxic effect in the micronucleus induction model in bone marrow.

TRAMIL Work¹⁴
The aqueous extract (decoction), freeze-dried, from fresh leaves (5 g/kg/animal/5 days), was administered orally in NGP mice (10 males and 10 females); the control was carried out with distilled
water (0.5 ml) in another 20 mice of the same characteristics.
They had an additional 7-day observation period at the end of the administration of the treatment and the control. During the test, no mortality or signs of toxicity occurred for the parameters assessed.

TRAMIL Work¹⁵
The aqueous extract (decoction 30%), 20.23 mg/ml yield, from fresh leaves, (1000, 3000, 6000 and 9000 mg total solids/kg) was administered orally in BALB/c mice groups of 10 animals (5 of each sex), with a negative control group (water). The animals were observed constantly in the first 24 hours and daily for 14
days. There were no deaths or signs of toxicity.

TRAMIL Work¹⁶
The hydroalcoholic extract (45%) from dried leaves (412, 824, 1236 and 1649 mg total solids/kg), was administered orally in Swiss OF1 mice, groups of 10 animals (5 of each sex), a negative control group (35% ethanol), acute toxicity class test.
No deaths occurred in the first 24 hours, nor in the following 14 days of observation. At doses of 1649 and 1236 mg/kg, decreases in reflex activity and ataxia were recorded, attributable to the alcohol content of the extract. There was no delay in weight development and the macroscopic study revealed no alterations. The microscopic study showed the existence of slight nuclear chromatolysis in the hepatocytes.

TRAMIL Work¹⁷
The hydroalcoholic extract (45%) from dried leaves, (2000 mg total solids/kg, single dose) orally in Sprague-Dowley rats (3 females and 3 males), a negative control group (35% ethanol), acute toxicity class model, did not cause any deaths in the first 24 hours or in the following 14 days. Signs such as decreased
reflex activity, ataxia and drowsiness were recorded, with full recovery after 4 hours, attributable to the alcohol content of the extract. No organ damage was observed in the macroscopic examination.

TRAMIL Work^18-19
Neither the 50% decoction from fresh leaves (0.82% of total solids) nor the heated fresh leaves (patch with 0.5 g over 6 cm2 of healthy and damaged skin), topically for 4 hours in New Zealand albino rabbits (OECD no. 404 and OPPTS 870.2500 EPA models) caused oedema or erythema after 72 hours of observation.
The fluid extract 70% of the foliage showed no genotoxic effects in the in vitro Salmonella/microsome (Ames) bacterial reversion test, nor in the in vivo micronucleus induction assay in mouse bone marrow, or mutagenicity (up to 5 mg/plate)²⁰.

The ethanolic extract (55.48%) from dried leaves orally in Swiss albino mice (weight 18 to 22 g) showed an LD₅₀ = 1802 mg/kg according to the OECD-1987 method²¹.

The ethanolic extract 70% from dried leaf (10, 14 and 18 ml/kg, corresponding to 1381, 1933.4 and 2485.8 mg total solids/kg) orally in mice, ethanol control 70% (14, 18 and 20 ml/kg), showed a LD₅₀ of the extract and vehicle of 13.05 and 16.25 ml/kg respectively, the former corresponding to 1801.99 mg/kg based on total solids. In the autopsy, no pathological alterations were found in the organs analysed, nor was there any decrease in body weight in any of the groups. In estimating the comparative LD50 no significant differences were found between the two¹¹.

The oral LD₅₀ is 1950 mg/kg in rats and 2350 mg/kg in mice; topically it is greater than 5 g/kg in rabbits. With the dose of 500 mg/24 h in the Draize test in rabbits, moderate skin irritation was recorded²².

Safrole is also found in species that are widely used for food, condiments or medicinal purposes such as: Ocimum basilicum, Rosmarinus officinalis and Cinnamomum aromaticum (the whole plant); Camellia sinensis (leaves); Tamarindus indica (fruit)²³ and is considered insoluble in water²⁴.

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

The leaves contain 0.12% w/w essential oil²: safrole (70-85% of total essential oil content), elemicin, eugenol and myristicin, borneol, borneol acetate, d-cadinene, camphene, cadina-1,4-diene, β-bisabolene, β-bourbonene, trans-caryophyllene; phenolics: aurantiamide I and II; steroids: β-sitosterol; benzenoids: piperic acid; flavonoids: flavone derivative; alkanes: n-hexadecane, nonan-2-one; oxygenated heterocycles:
piperochromanoic and piperochromenoic acid^3-6; terpenes: trans-phytol, α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene, p-cymene, β-ocimene, α-ocimene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, 1-linalool, germacrene⁷.

The whole plant contains alkaloids: aporphine⁸; essential oil (0.47–0.58%): cepharadione A and B4.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of leaves⁹: water: 80.4 g; protein: 4.25%; fat: 1.82 g; carbohydrates: 8.25 g; fibre: 2.8 g; ash: 2.48 g; calcium: 317 mg; phosphorus: 49 mg; iron: 4.8 mg; sodium: 18 mg; potassium: 373 mg; carotene: 5.95 mg; thiamine: 0.12 mg; riboflavin: 0.28 mg; niacin: 1.97 mg; ascorbic acid: 49 mg.

TRAMIL Work¹⁰
The fresh leaf juice (100, 25, 12.5, 3 and 1% in 10 μl/each side of the ear), topically in male OF-1 mice, croton oil induced ear oedema model (10 μl/each side of the ear), showed inhibition of the inflammatory process in 54.5, 52.1, 34.4, 6.4 and 3.8% respectively, with the effect of the three highest doses being statistically significant.

The ethanolic extract 70% from dried leaves (287.5, 575.1 and 863.4 mg of total solids/kg) orally in rats, 1% carrageenan-induced leg oedema model (subplant injection of 0.1 ml), positive control with indomethacin 1% (10 mg/kg), treatment (7.5 ml/kg) and no treatment, showed 27.3; 39.4 and 49.5 percent inhibition of oedema formation and the mean effective dose (ED50) was 816.09 mg/kg¹¹.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 MOREJON Z, LOPEZ M, GARCIA MJ, BOUCOURT E, VICTORIA M, FUENTES
V, MORON F, BOULOGNE I, ROBINEAU L, 2009
Encuesta TRAMIL preliminar a grupos de vecinos en los municipios 10 de Octubre, Lisa, Marianao, Habana del Este (Cojímar) en la ciudad de La Habana. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana, La Habana, Cuba.
2 PINEDA R, VIZCAINO S, GARCIA CM, GIL JH, DURANGO DL, 2012
Chemical composition and antifungal activity of Piper auritum Kunth and Piper holtonii C. DC. against phyopathogenic fungi. Chilean JAR 74: 507-515.
3 HANSEL R, LEUSCHKE A, 1975
Aporphine-type alkaloids from Piper auritum. Lloydia 38(6):529-530.
4 DOMINGUEZ XA, ROJAS P, GARZA MDR, CORDOVA JA, 1962
Preliminary study of 25 plants from the central territory of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Rev Soc Quim Mex 6:213-215.
5 OSCAR CC, POVEDA ALJ, 1983
Piper auritum (H.B.K.), Piperaceae family. Preliminary study of the essential oil from its leaves. Ing Cienc Quim 7(1-2):24-25.
6 GUPTA M, 1987
Essential oil: a new source of bee repellents. Chem Ind (London) 5:161-163.
7 MONZOTE L, GARCÍA M, MONTALVO AM, SCULL R, MIRANDA M, 2010
Chemistry, cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of the essential oil from Piper auritum. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 105(2):168-173.
8 AMPOFO SA, ROUSSIS V, WIEMER DF, 1987
New prenylated phenolics from Piper auritum. Phytochemistry 26(8):2367-2370.
9 DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986
Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press.
10 MARTINEZ I, DUMENIGO A, BRITO G, MORON F, 2013
Actividad antiinflamatoria tópica de zumo de hojas frescas de Piper auritum Kunth en en edema de oreja inducido por aceite de Croton en ratones. Trabajo TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de C. Médicas Dr. Salvador Allende, La Habana, Cuba.
11 VEGA MONTALVO R, LAGARTO PARRA A, 1999
Evaluación del efecto antiinflamatorio del extracto de Piper auritum HBK y toxicidad aguda oral. Rev cuba plant med 4(1):11-14.
12 GUERRA MJ, BETANCOURT J, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, BOUCOURT E, FUENTES V, 2001
Genotoxicidad in vitro: mediante el sistema de ensayo con Aspergillus nidulans de decocción liofilizada de hojas frescas de Piper auritum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Facultad de Medicina Dr. Salvador Allende, La Habana, Cuba.
13 BETANCOURT J, MARTINEZ MJ, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, BOUCOURT E, MORON F, 2000
Actividad genotóxica in vivo de hoja seca de Piper auritum H.B.K. en el test de micronúcleos de medula ósea de ratón. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Fac. C. Médicas “Dr. S. Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.
14 GARCIA GM, COTO MT, GONZALEZ CS, PAZOS L, 2000
Toxicidad aguda en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hojas frescas de Piper auritum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.
15 GUERRA MJ, LOPEZ M, BOUCOURT E, FUENTES V, 2002
Toxicidad aguda (DL50) de la decocción liofilizada de hojas frescas de Piper auritum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Facultad de Medicina Dr. Salvador Allende. La Habana, Cuba.
16 GUERRA MJ, LOPEZ M, BOUCOURT E, FUENTES V, 2002
Toxicidad aguda (DL50) del extracto hidroalcohólico (45%) de hojas secas de Piper auritum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Facultad de Medicina Dr. Salvador Allende. La Habana, Cuba.
17 GUERRA MJ, LOPEZ M, BOUCOURT E, FUENTES V, MORON F, 2002
Clases tóxicas agudas de extracto hidroalcohólico (30%) de hojas secas de Piper auritum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Facultad de Medicina Dr. Salvador Allende. La Habana, Cuba.
18 LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, GARCIA A, BACALLAO Y, 2012
Ausencia de irritabilidad dérmica aguda de la decocción 50% de hojas frescas de Piper auritum Kunth en piel sana y dañada en conejos. Trabajo TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de C. Médicas Dr. Salvador Allende, La Habana, Cuba.
19 LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, GARCIA A, BACALLAO Y, 2012
Ausencia de irritabilidad dérmica aguda de hojas frescas calentadas de Piper auritum Kunth en piel sana y dañada en conejos. Trabajo TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de C. Médicas Dr. Salvador Allende, La Habana, Cuba.
20 PILOTO FERRER J, VIZOSO A, RAMOS A, GARCIA A, REMIGIO A, VEGA Y, GONZALEZ ML, RODRIGUEZ C, CARBALLO C, 2009
Plantas medicinales. Diez años de evaluaciones toxicogenéticas en el CIDEM. Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas, 8(5):428-434.
21 PARRA AL, YHEBRA RS, SARDINAS IG, BUELA LI, 2001
Comparative study of the assay of Artemia salina L. and the estimate of the medium lethal dose (LD50 value) in mice, to determine oral acute toxicity of plant extracts. Phytomedicine 8(5):395-400.
22 National Toxicology Program, 2011
Safrole CAS No 94-59-7. Report on Carcinogens, Twelfth Edition. National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services. p. 374-375 En: http://ntp.niehs. nih.gov/go/roc12
23 DUKE J. 2013
Plants Containing SAFROLE Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. En: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/highchem.pl (1 of 2) 23/01/2013
24 FISHER SCIENTIFIC AB, 2006
Safety data sheet safrol. From registry of toxic effects of chemical substances (RTECS). The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Hawley, 11th. Edition and Handbook of Poisoning, R.E.Dreisbach, 12th edition.

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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Piper auritum

Vernacular names

Cuba:

Cuba:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

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