Peperomia pellucida
Scientific Name(s): Peperomia pellucida L. HBK.
Common Name(s): Coracaozinho, Erva-de-jaboti, Erva-de-jabuti, Erva-de-vidro, Lingua de sapo, Shiny bush, Silver bush
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 21, 2022.
Clinical Overview
Use
The plant species has a history of ethnomedicinal use. Anti-inflammatory, chemotherapeutic, and analgesic properties have been found in crude extracts of P. pellucida.
Dosing
None validated by clinical data.
Contraindications
Patients with known hypersensitivity reactions to any of the components of the plant species should avoid use.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Avoid use because of lack of clinical data. The plant species interferes with prostaglandin synthesis.
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
The plant has a strong mustard-like odor and may cause asthma-like symptoms in patients with known hypersensitivity reactions to the plant species.
Toxicology
No clinical data have been reported on human toxicity. Animals tolerated 14 days of P. pellucida aqueous extract 5 g/kg with no adverse reactions or changes in behavior or weight.
Scientific Family
- Piperaceae (pepper)
Botany
The family Piperaceae comprises about 5 genera and 1,400 species. The genus Peperomia represents nearly half of the Piperaceae. P. pellucida L. HBK is a herbaceous plant found in many South American and Asian countries. The plant grows to a height of 15 to 45 cm, and its shiny light-green leaves are succulent, well spaced, and heart shaped. The species develops during rainy periods (often in the spring) and thrives in loose, humid soils under the shade of trees.Arrigoni-Blank 2002, Bayma 2000, de Fatima 2004, dos Santos 2001, USDA 2017
History
The plant has a rich history of medicinal use. Ethnomedicinal data in Bolivia from Alteños Indians document the whole plant being crushed, mixed with water, heated, and then orally administered to stop hemorrhage. The same reference documents a root decoction for treatment of fevers and mashed aerial parts applied topically or used as dressing for wounds.Muñoz 2000
P. pellucida has been used for treating abdominal pain, abscesses, acne, boils, colic, fatigue, gout, headache, renal disorders, and rheumatic pain, and to treat breast cancer, impotence, measles, mental disorders, and smallpox. It has been used in salads or as a cooked vegetable to help relieve rheumatic joint pain.Aziba 2001, Khan 2002
Other medicinal properties vary depending on region. In northeastern Brazil, the plant has been used to lower cholesterol; in Guyana, it has been used as a diuretic and to treat proteinuria; and in the Amazon region, it has been used as a cough suppressant, diuretic, and emollient, and to treat cardiac arrhythmia.Arrigoni-Blank 2002, Bayma 2000, de Fatima 2004
Chemistry
Numerous chemical investigations, primarily on the essential oils of the plant, are found in medical literature. One study identified 71 compounds from the essential oils of 10 Piperaceae species. Sesquiterpenes appear to be the major chemical constituents in the essential oils. Carotol (13.41%) was the major hydroxylated sesquiterpene in a chemical analysis of P. pellucida. Flavonoids, phytosterols, arylpropanoids (eg, apiols), substituted styrenes, and a dimeric ArC2 compound or pellucidin A have been isolated. Antifungal activity has been documented for arylpropa...
