Exploring the Ethano-Medicinal Use of Piper Longrum in Association with Other Plant Species by Various Ethnic Tribes of Assam, India

Exploring the Ethano-Medicinal Use of Piper Longrum in Association with Other Plant Species by Various Ethnic Tribes of Assam, India

Lakhyajit Borah

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7413-3623

Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Jalukbari -781014, Guwahati, India

Abstract: Assam is situated in northeast India, primarily within the Eastern Himalayas and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots, and is recognized as one of the country's richest biodiversity regions. Its landscapes encompass grasslands, tropical rainforests, wetlands, and riverine ecosystems that support a vast array of flora and fauna. Alongside this ecological wealth, Assam is renowned for its tribal and ethnic diversity, including communities like the Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Ahom, Deori, and others. These tribes possess profound ethno- medicinal botanical knowledge, using diverse plants often in combinations to treat various diseases and ailments. A prominent example is longum, widely employed across these groups for remedies against cough, cold, ulcers, diabetes, dysentery, and more. The present study documents the folklore medicinal practices associated with Piper longum and its associate plants among 15 different tribal communities of Assam.

Keywords: Ethano botany, Folklore medicine, Piper longrum, Assam, Tribes.

1. INTRODUCTION:

   Assam, located in northeastern India, is dominated by the broad floodplains formed by the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. Its terrain features extensive river plains, low rolling hills, and a close-knit network of streams, which are commonly categorized into the Brahmaputra valley, the Barak valley, and adjoining hill regions. Geographically, the state lies between about 24°28° N latitude and 89°96° E longitude and shares its borders with Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, West Bengal, and Bangladesh. Assam has a warm, humid, monsoon-driven climate, receiving heavy rainfall that supports dense vegetation and remarkable biological richness. Assam is inhabited by diverse indigenous tribes including Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Rabha, Dimasa, Tiwa, Deori, and Sonowal Kachari, each boasting distinctive dialects and traditions. These populations depend extensively on native vegetation for nutrition, healing, rituals, and everyday tools,forming the core of their deep-rooted ethnobotanical insights Their customs feature herbal cures, wild plant foraging, holy woodland conservation, and sacred flora in rites, with ancestral lore shared by word of mouth and woven into their environmental views and heritage. Assam has around 4273+ different kind plant species out of which approximately 952+ plant species were found to have medicinal properties directly or indirectly (Barooah C. and Ahamed I., 2014) (ENVIS Centre: Assam Status of Environment and Related Issues, 2025). One of the most widely and extensively used medicinal plant species by various tribal tribes of assam is Piper longrum.

   Botanical Description:

   Piper longum L. is a climbing vine from the Piperaceae family, thriving in South Asia, especially India. It is a perennial climber or subshrub and grows primarily in the temperate biome. People have long used its dried fruit clusters as a spice, in traditional medicine, and for various remedies (Chanchal, C. & Thongam, B., 2013).

   Classification: Kingdom Plantae

   Phylum- Streptophyta Class- Equisetopsida

   Subclass- Magnoliidae Order- Piperales

   Family- Piperaceae

   Genus- Piper

   Species- Piper longum

   Numerous plants are used in folklore medicine by different tribal and rural communities of Assam for curing various diseases. one of them is Piper longrum also known as pipoli or long pepper vernacularly. It is primarily associated with the traditional management of a wide range of conditions, including cough, sore throat, paralysis of tongue, fever, chronic bronchitis, headache, constipation, including cough, sore throat, paralysis of tongue, fever, chronic bronchitis, headache, constipation, asthama, gonorrhea, diarrhea, cholera, ulcer, chronic malaria, respiratory infections, stomach ache, spleen disorders, and various tumors etc (Biswas et al., 2022). A comprehensive study has been conducted to document all folklore medicinal practices associated with Piper longum performed by various tribal communities or tribes of Assam.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS:

   Study-site

   The present study was conducted in different districts and villages of assam based on tribal tribes availability in different locations. Field studies were conducted between January 2024 to December 2025. Ethno-medico-botanical information on folklore practices were gathered following

   the methodologies proposed by (Schultes., 1962) and (Jain., 1963), primarily through interviews and cross-verification with local inhabitants of different tribal tribes.

   Fig: Study site highlighted in Assam map.

3. RESULTS:

   After field survey, practical demonstration and application results are enumerated below. Different tribes of assam uses Piper longrum in combination with different plants and then process it differently according to illness or disease. Various tribal tribes and there use of P. longrum is describe below:

   Table1: List of tribes and their use of P.longrum for different illness and diseases in different part of Assam.

   Tribes (district/study location)

   Scientific name of Plant in association with P.longrum L.

   Part used

   Illness/disease

   Preparation procedure

   Dosage

   1. Bodo (kokrajhar)	Phyllanthus niruri L. Pouzolzia zeylanica (L) Benn.	Leafs and fruits Whole plant		Fruit of P. longrum and parts of P. nururi, a paste is made and applied in ulcer area. A herbal tea is prepared using the leafs and fruit of P. nururi and dry fruit of P. longrum Whole plant extract is used (basically stem and leaf) is mixed with root paste of P.longrum and consumed.	3 gm is applied for 1 week 100 ml, 4 days per week 5ml of plant extract of P zeylanica is added in 5gm of root paste of p.longrum.
   2. Mising (Gohpur,Lakhimpur)	Zingiber officinale Roscoe	Rhizome		Both rhizome of Z. officinale and fruit of P. longrum is boiled and then pinch of salt is added and then drunk. A herbal tea is prepared using the rhizome of Z. officinale and dried fruit powder of P. longrum	200 ml is usually used during dysentry In 200ml of water 10gm of crush rhizome of Z. officinale and 3 gm of dried fruit powder of P. longrum is added and boiled till the water reduced to 100 ml and then consumed

   1. Ulcer in mouth

   2. Immunity enhancer

   3. stomachache

   1. Dysentry

   2. Sore throat

   3. Karbi (Dima Hasao)	Catharanthus rosesus(L.) G.Don	Leafs and flower		A fine paste is made of both plants part i.e, leafs and flower of C. rosesus and fruit of P. longrum. Amature leaf bud of C. rosesus and amature leaf of P.longrum is chewed and taken together.	1 table spoon (approximately 5- 6 gm) 1 leaf bud and 1 amature leaf is taken.
   4. Tiwa (Morigaon)	Dillenia indica L.	Bark		Dry bark powder of D.indica and dry powder of P.longrum fruit is mixed in luke warm water together and then taken Pulp of D.indica fruit and powder of P.longrum is mixed and taken	Both powder is mixed in equal ratio to form 5-6 gm, then added in 150 ml water. 2 ml pulp and 4 gm powder of P.longrum is mixed and made in form of capsule and consumed.
   5. Dimasa (Karimganj and hailakandi)	Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa	Fruit pulp		Pulp of A.marmelos and dry powder of P.longrum is mixed and consumed. Same treatment is used.	2gm P.longrum powder is mixed in 100 ml of pulp 100 ml is taken twice a day 5 gm dried bark powder of

   1. Diabetes

   2. Menstural pan

   1. Analgesic

   2. Digestion

   1. Constipation

   2. Diarrhea

   		a. Bark			A.scholari is
   6. Rabha (Goalpara)	Alstonia scholaris (L) R.B.r	b. Leafs and flower	Malaria Skin irritation (fungal)	Dried bark power of A.scholaris and is mixed with P.longrum fruit extract. Flower and leaf of Alstonia scholaris is crushed and mixed with root paste of P.longrum and applied in affected area.	mixed in 5ml P.longrum extract and then both are mixed in 100ml luke warm water. 5gm of crushed mixer of Flower and leaf of Alstonia scholaris is mixed with 5gm root paste of P.longrum.
   7. Deori (Dibrugarh)	Ocimum sanctum L.	Leafs and leaf bud		Leaf extract of O.sanctum is mixed with fruit of P.longrum powder and honey then consumed. Leaf extract of O.sanctum is mixed with fruit of P.longrum powder and giner extract and consumed.	3gm leaf extract of O.sanctum mixed with 1 table spoon of honey and 2gm of P.longrum powder. 3gm leaf extract of O.sanctum mixed with 2gm of P.longrum powder and 3gm of ginger extract.

   1. Cough

   2. Fever

   8. Garo (Goalpara)	Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton	Leafs	Bone pain and sciatic nerve injury	A paste of P.longrum leafs and Cucurma longa is made and then is gently heated and bandaged using C.procera leaf in pain bone region.	A paste of 10gm P.longrum leafs and 30 gm C. longa is bandaged using C.procera leaf in pain region . leafs are gently heated before use.
   9. Sonowal kachari (Dhemaji)	Clerodendrum infortunatum L.	Leafs	Bronchitis	Leaf extract of C. infortunatum is mixed with powder of P.longrum powder and consumed.	2gm of P.longrum powder is mixed in 5ml of leaf extract of C.infortunatum
   10. Tea-Garden Community (Biswanath)	Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link	Whole plant	Asthama	Plant extract of L. aspera is mixed with P.longrum powder or stem extract and then consumed.	5gm of L.aspera extract mixed with 2gm of P.longrum powder.
   11. Khasi (Goalpara)	Cleome rutidosperma DC.	Leafs		Leaf extract of C. rutidosperma and root extract P.longram is mixed and consumed. Leaf extract of C. rutidosperma and root extract P.longram or dried powder is mixed and consumed.	5ml of leaf extract is mixed with 2gm of root extrct 5ml of leaf extract is mixed with 2gm of root extrct or powder.

   1. Convulsions

   2. Digestion

   (Jorhat)	Hellenia speciosa (J.Koenig) S.R.Dutta Ageratum conyzoides L	stem Leafs and flower	skin irritation, minor burn and cut.	The stem of H.speciosa is boiled and then root extract of P.longrum is added and the water is consumed Same treatment is used Leaf and flower extract of A. conyzoides is mixed with root extract and then applied in burn, cut region.	5gm of root extract of P.longrum is added in 200ml of H.speciosa boiled water. 200ml is taken twice a day. 5gm of leaf and flower extract of A.conyzoides is mixed with 3gm of root extract of P.longrum. ratio may change depending upon wound size.
   14. Hajong (Goalpara)	Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth.	Bark, leafs and flower.	Cholera	Dried bark of A.auriculiformis and stem of P.longrum is boiled together and the water is consumed.	In 500ml of water 50 gm of bark of A.auricliformis And 10-20 gm of Stem of P.longrum is mixed and boiled.
   15. Tai-khamti (Dibrugarh)	Garcinia pedunculata Roxb. ex Buch.-Ham. Curcuma caesia Roxb.	Young leafs, and fruit Rhizome		Fruit pulp of G.pedunculata is mixed with fruit extract of P.longrum and consumed A paste of rhizome of C.caesia is made and mixed with root extract of P.longrum.	5ml of fruit pulp of G.pedunculata added in 2gm of fruit extract of P.longrum. 20 gm rhizome pasted is mixed with 4ml of root extract of P.longrum. Then applied in bit region. .

   1. Tai-Ahom

   2. Mech (kokrajhar)

   1. High blood pressure

   2. jaundice

   1. Piles and Dysentery

   2. Snake or scorpion bite

   Figure of some associated medicinal plants used by different tribes:

   Calotropis procera Alstonia scholaris A.auriculiformis C. rutidosperma

   Voucher speciments were collected, photographed and later identified. Identification were done following

   reference like Hooker (1872-1897), Flora of assam – Kanjilal (1934-1940), and by comparing with pre-identified herbarium specimen in GUBH (Gauhati university botany herbarium).

4. DISCUSSION:

   The ethno-medico botanical investigation of the region revealed that the indigenous communities possess extensive traditional knowledge regarding the therapeutic uses of local plant species. However, due to increasing exposure to modernization and changing socio-cultural dynamics, this ancestral wisdom is at risk of gradual extinction. Hence, systematic documentation and scientific evaluation of the ethnobotanical practices of different tribes and sub-tribes are imperative to preserve and utilize this traditional knowledge for future ethno pharmacological and conservation studies. The present study revealed various major tribes of Assam uses different plants combining with P. longrum for different diseases and illness. Some studies revealed that the plants used by major tribes has different phytochemical and medicinal properties like phyllantus nururi L. has anti-ulcer property (Mostofa et al., 2017), Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton possesses anti-arthritic and bone pain remedial property (Zafar et al., 2021)(Mamta et al., 2023). Anti-malarial properties are also observed in the secondary metabolite produced by Alstonia scholaris (L) R.B.r (De

   et al.,2024). Ocimum sanctum L. also has cough remedial property which has been used by various tribes (Santosh et al., 2024). Garcinia pedunculata Roxb. ex Buch-Ham possesses dysentery remedial property (islam et al., 2021). Due to the presence of precocenes, flavonoids, and terpenoids in Ageratum conyzoides L it possesses anti-inflamatory and wound healing properties (Afariogun.,2025). Hellenia.speciosa (J.Koenig) S.R. Dutta has anti-diabetic and anti-jaundice property (Raveendran.,2019).C rutidosperma DC possesses anti-convulsion property (Trang., 2023).

   The present investigation revealed 15 tribal tribes of Assam uses 18 different plant and associate it with P. longrum for curing different diseases and illness. Different parts were being used such as rhizome, stem, leafs, leaf buds, flower, fruit, bark, roots as treatment. These all plants other than medicinal properties have other ethnic significance among the tribal tribes of Assam.

5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVE:

   It is found that Piper longrum is used by almost all tribal tribes of Assam. As it it possesses numerous health benefit and medicinal property. Different plant above mention also rich in different phytochemicals possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer and other medicinal properties. Extensive scientific research is urgently needed to validate these folk claims. Further research is required on these ethno-medicinal plants to isolate and identify their active constituents and to evaluate their safety and therapeutic effectiveness, enabling their potential use in modern healthcare applications like drug discovery.

6. REFERENCE:

1. Afariogun., M.S., (2025), Medicinal Uses and Phytochemical Properties of Ageratum conyzoides: An Advanced and Empirical Review, Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences,3(2),1116-1126. https://doi.org/10.58578/mikailalsys.v3i2.6703.

2. Barooah, C., and Ahamed, I., (2014) and Environment and Forest Department, Assam.

3. Biswas, P., Ghorai, M., Mishra, T., Gopalakrishnan, A. V., Roy, D., Mane, A. B., Mundhra, A., Das, N., Mohture, V. M., Patil, M. T., Rahman, M. H., Jha, N. K., Batiha, G. E., Saha, S. C., Shekhawat, M. S., Radha, Kumar, M., Pandey, D. K., & Dey, A. (2022). Piper longum L.: A comprehensive review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and health-promoting, activities. Phytotherapy research:PTR, 36(12),44254476. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7649.

4. Chanchal., C & Thongam., B., (2013). Notes on the Piper species of Manipur, North East India. Folia malaysiana. 14. 55-62.

5. Shrestha De, Rajat Das, Mrittyunjoy Adhikari, Pallab Ghosh, Jyochhana Priya Mohanty, Chandrika Sharma. An updated review on Alstonia scholaris: A delightful therapeutic plant. J Med Plants Stud 2024;12(2):43-51. DOI: 10.22271/plants.2024.v12.i2a.1652.

6. ENVIS Centre Assam. (2025). Status of Environment Report for the State of Assam. Assam Science Technology and Environment Council. https://astec.assam.gov.in/portlet-sub-innerpage/status-of-environment-report-for-the-state-of-assam,

7. Hooker, J. D. 1872-1897. The flora of British India, Vol. I VII. Reeve & Co. London.

8. Islam, J., Devi, P. V. P. V., & Langching., J. (2021). Medicinal and antioxidant activity of Garcinia pedunculata: a valuable underutilized fruit of Assam. Journal of Post harvest..technology, 9(4),1122.https://journals.acspublisher.com/index.php/jpht/article/view/15274.

9. Jain, S.K. (1963). Studies in Indian Ethnobotany. Origin and utility of some vernacular Plant names, Acad. Sci-B Ind. 33(4), 525 530.

10. Kanjilal, U.N., Kanjilal, P.C., Bor, N.L. and Das, A. 1934-40, Flora of Assam Vol. I- V. Avon Book Co.

11. Mamta, Ritu Kapoor, Manoj Adlakha, Medicinal use of poisonous plant Arka its pharmacological study. J Ayu Int Med Sci. 2023;8(6):100-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.21760/jaims.8.6.17.

12. Mostofa, R., Ahmed, S., Begum, M. M., Sohanur Rahman, M., Begum, T., Ahmed, S. U., Tuhin, R. H., Das, M., Hossain, A., Sharma, M., & Begum, R. (2017). Evaluation of anti-inflammatory and gastric anti-ulcer activity of Phyllanthus niruri L. (Euphorbiaceae) leaves in experimental rats. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 17(1),267. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1771-7.

13. Nguyen, Trang. (2023). A Review on Bioactive Compounds and Pharmacological Properties of Cleome rutidosperma DC: A review on Cleome rutidosperma. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL LIFE SCIENCE 2023,13(3),615624 http://dx.doi.org/10.11594/jtls.13.03.20.

14. Ramya, R., & Dhamotharan, R. (2019). Antidiabetic effect of Hellenia speciosa (J. Koenig) SR Dutta in alloxan induced diabetic rats. International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, 9(8), 19-28. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.27567.36000.

15. Santosh., S.S., Dnyaneshwar., G.S., Kaulage., V.B., (2024). A Review on Medicinal Uses of Tulsi Plant (Ocimum Sanctum) In Cough Syrup, 10(6), ISSN: 2454-5988.

16. Schultes, R. E. 1962. The role of the ethnobotanists in search for new medicinal plants. Lloydia. 25, 257 266.

17. Zafar, S., Rasul, A., Iqbal, J., Anwar, H., Imran, A., Jabeen, F., Shabbir, A., Akram, R., Maqbool, J., Sajid, F., Arshad, M. U., Hussain, G., & Islam, S. (2021). Calotropis procera (leaves) supplementation exerts curative effects on promoting functional recovery in a mouse model of peripheral nerve injury. Food science & nutrition, 9(9), 50165027. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2455