Black pepper (Piper nigrum) the flowering wine belongs to the family piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as spice and seasoning. The black pepper high variability was also noticed for yield contributing characters like runner shoot production, holding capacity, adventitious root production, lateral branch habit, spike length, number of spikes per lateral branch, fruit set, dry weight. Pharmacological, toxicological, clinical applications and general uses of pepper are bioavailability enhancement, carminative, anti-cancer, natural antioxidant, black pepper as an anti-Inflammatory drug, cholesterol lowering and Immune enhancer, anti-pyretic, anti-periodic and rubefacient, black pepper Improves digestion and promotes intestinal health, preservation of the flavour content. Four different pepper varieties in Kerala were selected based on a baseline survey. The proximate composition includes estimation of dry matter and moisture content, estimation of crude protein, estimation of crude fibre, estimation of crude ash and insoluble ash, ether extract, determination of dietary fibre, gross energy, analysis of component of different varieties of Piper nigrum were determined. The sample Munthirimunda fruit has high moisture content. The sample Chengannor leaf has high dry matter content. The sample Chenganoor leaf has high crude protein content. The sample Panniyor leaf has high crude fibre content. Ether Extract is high in sample Chenganoor leaf. The sample Munthirimunda leaf has high comparatively high Total Ash content. Gross Energy is high in sample Panniyor fruit. A wide gap in the nutritional properties of Piper nigrum varieties exist in Kerala which could be further explored.

Known as the "King" of spices, black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and the "Queen" of spices, cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum M.), both perennial crops of the tropics, are the most important and most widely sought after spice crops of the world. They both have many uses, for example, both are used as flavourings and as a medicine. This book provides a comprehensive review of these two very important spice crops, covering origin, history, geographical distribution, production, economy and their uses. - Discusses the two major spices of great economic value to the developing world - The author is an eminent scientist who has won numerous awards for his work in this area

Black Pepper is the first monograph on this important and most widely used spice. This volume includes chapters on all aspects of the crops' botany; crop improvement, agronomy, chemistry, post-harvest technology, processing, diseases, insect pests, marketing, economy and uses. All the available information has been collected and presented by experts for the use of students, teachers and research workers in the field, and will remain the major reference source for all pepper workers for some time to come.