piperine

[ pip-uh-reen, -er-in ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline alkaloid, C 1 7 H 1 9 NO 3 , obtained from pepper and other piperaceous plants and also prepared synthetically: used as an insecticide.

piperine

/ ˈpɪpəˌraɪn; -rɪn /

noun

1. a crystalline insoluble alkaloid that is the active ingredient of pepper, used as a flavouring and as an insecticide. Formula: C 17 H 19 NO 3

Word History and Origins

Origin of piperine¹

1810–20; < Latin piper pepper + -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of piperine¹

C19: from Latin piper pepper

Example Sentences

Because the fruit has been stripped of its outer layer of flesh, which contains the piperine compound, white peppercorns are not as peppery.

From Washington Post

Regarded as the world's most traded spice, black pepper gets its spicy warmth from a compound called piperine.

From Salon

For instance, a chemical found in black pepper — called piperine — is sometimes added to curcumin supplements in proprietary blends to increase its absorption.

From New York Times

They found that piperine increased the absorption of EGCG, so it wasn’t broken down as quickly in the blood stream.

From Time

An alternative is Avon Skin So Soft with picaridin, a synthetic version of piperine, the active component of black pepper.

From New York Times