piperine

American  

[pip-uh-reen, -er-in] / ˈpɪp əˌrin, -ər ɪn /

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.

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piperine British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of piperine

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

Example Sentences

This layer, along with the surface layers of the seed within, contains the main compound responsible for the spice’s characteristic pungent flavor: piperine.

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