Prem Jose Vazhacharickal

K.R Anilakumar

Deepthi James

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) the flowering wine belongs to the family piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as spice and seasoning. The black pepper high variability was also noticed for yield contributing characters like runner shoot production, holding capacity, adventitious root production, lateral branch habit, spike length, number of spikes per lateral branch, fruit set, dry weight. Pharmacological, toxicological, clinical applications and general uses of pepper are bioavailability enhancement, carminative, anti-cancer, natural antioxidant, black pepper as an anti-Inflammatory drug, cholesterol lowering and Immune enhancer, anti-pyretic, anti-periodic and rubefacient, black pepper Improves digestion and promotes intestinal health, preservation of the flavour content. Four different pepper varieties in Kerala were selected based on a baseline survey. The proximate composition includes estimation of dry matter and moisture content, estimation of crude protein, estimation of crude fibre, estimation of crude ash and insoluble ash, ether extract, determination of dietary fibre, gross energy, analysis of component of different varieties of Piper nigrum were determined. The sample Munthirimunda fruit has high moisture content. The sample Chengannor leaf has high dry matter content. The sample Chenganoor leaf has high crude protein content. The sample Panniyor leaf has high crude fibre content. Ether Extract is high in sample Chenganoor leaf. The sample Munthirimunda leaf has high comparatively high Total Ash content. Gross Energy is high in sample Panniyor fruit. A wide gap in the nutritional properties of Piper nigrum varieties exist in Kerala which could be further explored.

K.R Anilakumar

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