Dried, unripe, nearly full-grown fruit of Piper cubeba L.f., Piperaceae. Habit. Southern Asia, Java, Borneo, Sumatra; cultivated in W. Indies and Ceylon. Berries are globular, 4-5 mm in diameter; blackish-gray; intern. whitish and hollow; strong, spicy odor; aromatic, pungent taste. Constit. 10-18% volatile oil, cubebin, about 1% cubebic acid, resin, fat, wax. Review of constituents: N. B. Shankaracharya et al., PAFAI J. 17, 33-39 (1995). Botanical description and medicinal uses: J. Gruenwald et al., PDR for Herbal Medicines (Medical Economics, Montvale, 2nd Ed., 2000) p 235.
Obtained by steam distillation of the mature, unripe, sun-dried fruit. Constit. α- and β-cubebenes, copaene, cubebol, δ-cadinene, humulenes. Description: D. L. J. Opdyke, Food Cosmet. Toxicol. 14, Suppl., 729 (1976).
Urinary antiseptic; expectorant.