Piper Longum Fruit Extract – Long Pepper Extract for Cosmetic Formulations

What Is Piper Longum Fruit Extract?

Piper Longum Fruit Extract is an extract of the fruit of Long Pepper (Piper longum L.), a plant belonging to the Piperaceae family.

The fruit contains approximately 1% volatile oil, together with resin, alkaloids such as piperine and piperlonguminine, and other naturally occurring compounds.

Composition of Piper Longum Fruit

The major constituents include essential oils, mono- and sesquiterpenes, piperine, piperlongumine, piperlonguminine, pipernonaline, sesamin, and β-sitosterol.

The essential oil is a complex mixture in which caryophyllene, pentadecane, and bisabolene are among the principal constituents. Other reported components include thujine, terpinoline, zingiberine, p-cymene, p-methoxy acetophenone, and dihydrocarveol.

Traditional and Investigated Uses

Piper longum has a long history of traditional use. The original source describes its traditional use in preparations intended to support respiratory health and reports experimental investigations of its biological properties.

Studies have also investigated the essential oil and fruit-derived compounds for antifungal activity. These findings relate to specific extracts or isolated compounds and should not automatically be interpreted as cosmetic efficacy claims for every Piper Longum Fruit Extract.

Cosmetic Applications

The presence of volatile oils and bioactive botanical compounds makes Piper Longum Fruit Extract a potential ingredient for botanical and active cosmetic formulations. The composition and properties of the final ingredient depend on the plant material and extraction method used.

Ingredient Information

INCI Name: Piper Longum Fruit Extract

References

Dweck, Anthony. Handbook of Cosmetic Ingredients: - their use, safety and toxicology (Dweck Books 5).