Piperine (black pepper extract)
Piperine is an alkaloid compound found in black pepper (Piper nigrum) and long pepper (Piper longum and Piper retrofractum) and is responsible for their pungency. These peppers have been used as culinary spices and in traditional medicine for many centuries. Laboratory studies have demonstrated antioxidant properties along with the ability to influence enzyme activity. More recently, piperine extracts have been used to enhance bioavailability of various phytonutrients, most notably curcumin (1).