Shandong Science

   

Study on the commercial specifications and grading standards for Piperis Fructus

FENG Wangyin1, FUYan2, XU Qingqing2, ZHOU Tao2,3, YANG Changgui2,3, ZHANG Jinqiang2,3, XIAO Chenghong2,3*   

  1. 1.Shen Qi Ethnic Medicine College of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China;2.Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation and Resource-Efficient Utilization of Dao-di Herbs, Guiyang 550025, China
  • Received:2025-08-10 Accepted:2025-10-13 Online:2026-06-05
  • Contact: XIAO Chenghong E-mail:xiaochenghong1986@126.com

Abstract: To study the commercial specifications and grading standards for Piperis Fructus, 40 samples of Piperis Fructus collected from the herbal markets were analyzed. Based on the literature review and market investigation, the appearance traits of Piperis Fructus were selected. Descriptive statistical analysis and analysis of variance, confidence intervals of the means, practical production conditions, and market operability were employed to determine the grading indicators of Piperis Fructus. In addition, piperine content was used as a quality indicator to analyze differences among different grades and to examine the correlation between appearance traits and piperine content. The literature review and market investigation revealed that Piperis Fructus with larger plump and stronger aroma has traditionally been considered superior, and is classified into two categories: white pepper and black pepper. Data analysis showed that was significantly different in grain number of 50 g, using the grain number of 50 g as a classification index of Piperis Fructus. In accordance with the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia and practical production considerations, two specifications (white pepper and black pepper) and two grades (selected and standard) were defined. Multiple comparisons indicated that the piperine content in selected white pepper was significantly higher than that in selected black pepper. Correlation analysis showed that piperine content in both white and black pepper was significantly negatively correlated with the number of grains per 50 g, but did not significantly correlate with diameter or damage rate. This study establishes commercial specifications and grading standards for Piperis Fructus based on appearance traits, which align with current market conditions and could serve as a reference for standardizing market transactions and circulation.

Key words: Piperis Fructus, commercial specifications and grades, appearance trait indicators, standard

CLC Number: 

  • R282.71

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits third parties to freely share (i.e., copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (i.e., remix, transform, or build upon the material) the articles published in this journal, provided that appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated. The material may not be used for commercial purposes. For details of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, please visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0