RESUMO
Piperis Fructus is the dried nearly ripe or ripe fruit of Piperaceae, which is an important spice material and a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is widely used in the world. It is recorded to possess the efficacy of warming spleen and stomach for dispelling cold, depressing Qi and dissolving phlegm. Piperis Fructus mainly contains amide alkaloids with piperine as the main ingredient and volatile oil dominated by monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, which have a wide range of biological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, etc. By referring to relevant papers at home and abroad, the researches on chemical compositions from different parts and pharmacological effects of Piperis Fructus in recent 5 years were summarized and analyzed. It was found that Piperis Fructus has great potential for drug development as a TCM with homology of medicine and food, which can provide a reference for further research and comprehensive utilization of Piperis Fructus.