Piperine Content

Piperine in solution is rapidly isomerized by exposure to light to iso-piperine, chavicine and iso-chavicine. These compounds, which may occur in low concentrations in pepper, have little taste, so any assessment of the quality of pepper, based on the determination of the piperine content, must be capable of separating piperine from the related isomers. 

No separation methods have been available but only an estimation based on measurements at 342 nm and 360 nm of an extract, and use of a simultaneous equation. However, piperttine which, according to differential absorption measurements, makes up 5 to 15 of the piperine content (35). has not been referred to in any of the many... 

Table VII. Piperine content of world varieties of pepper and their pungency...

Table 2.4. Levels of oil, oleoresin and piperine content of common black pepper cultivars.

The alkaloid piperine generally is accepted as the active bite component in black pepper. The homologues and analogues of piperine are minor or trace compounds and their contribution to pungency is small. Despite the controversy over the nature of pungent compounds in pepper, piperine content has been taken as a measure of the total pungency. 

Piperine Determine as directed under Piperine Content, Appendix VIII. 

Pepper, black and white. Piperine content (Kjeldahl nitrogen or instrumental method), pepper-starch content. 

Pepper (black and white) oleoresin. Piperine content. 

The analysis of Indian black pepper oil was reviewed [189] and the effect of peppercorn maturity on the piperine content of extract was reported [190]. The history, botany, chemistry, uses and markets for pepper have been published by several authors and well summarised in reference [191]. 

Piperine content is typically 3-8% (and sometimes more), but it depends on the origin and other variables. The highest amount of piperine in pepper fruits is just before full maturity. Green pepper, obtained from unripe fruits, therefore contains a considerable amount of piperine, as well as black pepper, which is obtained by fermentation of green seeds (see Section 8.3.6.2). The content of piperine in white pepper, which is obtained from ripe red seeds with the coloured skin removed, is somewhat lower. The level of minor alkaloids piperyline and piperettine is only 0.2-0.3% and 0.2-1.6%, respectively. The piperine content in oleoresins is normally 35 40%, which corresponds to minced spice in a ratio of about 1 25. 

Since piperine (Pi) is universally accepted as the predominant pungent principle in pepper, the quality of pepper and oleoresin is dependent largely on its content, and so methods for estimat-... 

Singh, J., Dubey, R.K., and Atal, C.K., Piperine-mediated inhibition of glucuronidation activity in isolated epithelial cells of the guinea-pig small intestine Evidence that piperine lowers the endogeneous UDP-glucuronic acid content, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Then, 236,488,1986. 

Figure 6. Correlation of pipeline content and pungency. Curves (A) pure piper-ine (B) piperine by direct 342 nm absorption of pepper extracts (C) pipeline by Labruyere s hydrolysis-distillation method (39)...

Black, white, green and red peppers are fruits of the same plant Piper nigrum, Piperaceae) native to south India that contains protoalkaloid pipeline as the major hot component this is (2E,4 )-l-piperoylpiperidine, an amide of piperic acid, systematic name (2 ,4 )-5-(l,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-N-piperidinylpenta-2,4-dienamide. Black pepper is obtained from immature, but already fuUy developed fruits that are fermented during drying. Green peppers are quickly sun-dried unripe berries. White pepper is produced from fully ripe berries by removing the red skin. The content of piperine in black and white pepper is 3-8% (see Section 10.3.2.1.2). 

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