On the other hand, pink pepper seems to exert some positive and negative effects on health independent of the composition in energetic macronutrients, minerals and vitamins. In summary, the phytotherapeutic characteristics of false pepper are: antiseptic, diuretic, mood enhancer, analgesic for dental, menstrual and rheumatic problems. The most common adverse effects, on the other hand, include irritation and pain in the gastric and intestinal mucosa, and related symptoms. Another use of pink pepper is as a natural insecticide. We also remember that it is not a totally harmless product for health.
In cooking, pink pepper is associated with any category of ingredients, vegetable or animal, but with the necessary differences according to the specific case. It finds space both in the local cuisine of origin and in the international one.
human. There is no shortage of unsaturated fatty acids of the monounsaturated type - omega 9 oleic acid - and of the polyunsaturated type - omega 6 linoleic acid. Both, albeit in different ways, have a positive role in maintaining the overall state of health. Linoleic acid is essential, it must therefore necessarily be introduced with the diet. It has an irreplaceable role and, together with oleic acid, helps prevent many metabolic pathologies such as, for example, various types of dyslipidemia.
Pink pepper also contains other nutritional factors, of which the most interesting could be polyphenols with antioxidant action. They too are involved in maintaining the overall state of health and have a marked antioxidant and protective function of the metabolism.
and diarrhea in young children after the intake of pink pepper, currently the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) does not recognize the safety status (GRAS) to this food.
We always advise against taking it, in significant quantities, in case of:
- Specific allergy
- Severe gastrointestinal disorders
- Hepatic insufficiency
- Kidney failure
- Pharmacological therapies with which it could negatively interact
- Pregnancy
- Feeding time.
Being a spice, pink pepper is instead contraindicated, especially in considerable doses, in the diet against:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Gastritis
- Peptic ulcer - gastric and duodenal ulcer
- Irritable colon
- Diarrhea, of any kind and with any cause
- Hemorrhoids
- Anal fissures.
In traditional medicine, thanks to its antimicrobial properties, pink pepper is mainly used in the topical treatment of wounds and skin infections.
It has also found application as an antidepressant, but with poor results in humans. Recent studies conducted on mice, on the other hand, report a possible measurable effect on mood.
False pepper has a good diuretic potential; moreover, it seems to have a good anesthetic characteristic for toothache, rheumatism and menstrual disorders.
Pink pepper also has an "excellent insecticidal function, but it is not clear whether this property can be used - as well as in agriculture - for deworming on humans.
max (or soy, from 15 to 25%) and del Gossypium hirsutum (or cotton, from 18 to 26%).
The iodine value, an index of the degree of unsaturation - measurement of double bonds - is 17.74 I2 / 100 g. The higher the iodine value, the less stable, the more vulnerable to oxidation and the production of free radicals is the oil in question. Pink pepper oil is similar to Elaeis guineensis - dendè palm, with an iodine value equal to 13 or 17 I2 / 100 g. It is therefore different from "coconut oil - Cocos nucifera - and palm and palm kernel, much more saturated.
Unlike soybean oil, whose oxidative stability is low due to the high iodine value - 130 I2 / 100 g of oil - pink pepper oil is also suitable for cooking and preferable from the point of view. dietary for the best metabolic impact. False pepper oil is, due to its drying capacity, to be considered a good basis for the production of paints and varnishes.
The saponification value of seed oil S. molle is 129.88 mg KOH / g oil. Oils with a high saponification value are used as an ingredient in soap and in the manufacture of shaving foam or cosmetics.
Pink pepper seed oil has an unusually high acid value, which may be due to the presence of polyphenols derived from the seed shells.
The total yield of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids is 15.56, 16.75 and 31.02%. According to one of the studies carried out on the subject, 36.59% of fatty acids are quantifiable but not well identified. The most present saturated is palmitic (8.31%), followed by stearic acid (2.71%). The high viscosity and stability of stearic acid in pink pepper oil make it a good industrial lubricant; it can also be used as an ingredient for candles, plastics and cosmetics. Note: palmitic acid has a potentially hypercholesterolemic effect. Pink pepper oil has 15% monounsaturated acids, among which oleic acid stands out, interesting for its beneficial effect on metabolism.
Linoleic acid, an essential precursor of biologically active omega 6 - with a beneficial effect on metabolism - makes up 26.99% of the oil. Pink pepper oil has a ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids of 2, which indicates a prevalence of unsaturated ones and confirms their dietary properties
The chemical characterization of pink pepper essential oil and the biological activity of the individual components is, on the whole, quite interesting. The chemical analysis of the volatile oils - also contained in the leaves - reveals nineteen different substances, including above all biciclogermacrene (20.5%), β-caryophyllene (19.7%) and spatulenol (19.2%). they are responsible for the aromatic properties of pink pepper, unique in their kind and extremely characteristic.
, white pepper and green pepper.
Originally from the South American continent, false pepper finds its place in a "wide range of local culinary preparations. However, it is also widely used in world gastronomy; the Italian one is obviously no exception.
In the recipes of the Bel Paese are famous the combinations of pink pepper and peach products - salmon, fresh or smoked, shrimp and shrimp, etc. - certain meats - beef, such as fillet, but also white such as avian and rabbit - and some fresh cheeses - spreads, such as crescenza, mascarpone, robiola etc. Some rather famous recipes are: salmon marinated with citrus and pink pepper, veal fillet with pink pepper, shrimp with pink pepper and dill, croutons with goat cheese and chopped pink pepper, baked rabbit with pink pepper and tarragon, chicken cordon bleau with robiola and pink pepper etc.
Pink pepper is used both fresh and dry. It brilliantly resists heat and after cooking it does not lose or change its organoleptic and taste characteristics. In any case, to fully enjoy its aroma and flavor, it is advisable to expose it only to a limited extent to heat sources - fast cooking in a pan.
Pink pepper extract is commonly used as a flavoring in commercial drinks and syrups.
of the S. areira it has spread mostly in the main subtropical regions of the globe. Later we will describe the morphology of the tree S. molle.The pink pepper plant has linearly lanceolate, crescent-shaped leaves with irregularly serrated, alternating and opposite margins, 20-25 mm long and 3-8.5 mm wide. The number ranges from 5 to 51.
The tree is large, 8-10 m high, with perennial foliage that renews itself for a third of its density per year. The upper part is made up of flexible hanging branches, easily broken by the wind; the bark is light brown in color and has a wrinkled surface.
The flowers are yellowish and arranged in large terminal axillary panicles. The fruit is a greenish drupe which, when ripe, turns pink or light brown, depending on the area in which it grows. The drupe has a diameter of 4-6 mm with a globular ectocarp, a pulpy and resinous mesocarp, and a bony endocarp, with compressed seeds and flat cotyledons.
The essential oil is contained in the flowers, fruits and leaves; it has a characteristic aromatic and potentially irritating odor. In some periods of the year, mainly during pre-flowering, the stem and branches produce a brownish resin with high adhesive properties. .
. 854-859, February 20, 2013
