Curr Drug Targets. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2014 Jan 14.
Published in final edited form as:
PMCID: PMC3891794
NIHMSID: NIHMS543750
The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at Curr Drug Targets
Abstract
The Caribbean tropical tree, Pimenta dioica
has been used for a variety of human endeavors, such as in perfumery
industry, food spice, as a natural pesticide, and in folk medicine.
Discovered in Jamaica during the voyages of Christopher Columbus, the
dried unripe berries of P. dioica also known as Allspice can be found in
all continents with unique names in over 50 languages. Systematic
investigation of aromatic constituents of Pimenta leaves and its unripe
berries, Allspice, have resulted in discovery of many and novel aromatic
compounds, mostly glycosides and polyphenols that show antibacterial,
hypotensive, anti-neuralgic and analgesic properties. Recent studies
have shown two of the known compounds isolated from Allspice, Eugenol
and Gallic acid have selective antiproliferative and anti-tumor
properties on human cancer cells and their animal models. New
characterization of novel compounds such as Ericifolin from the aqueous
extract of Allspice berries show potent anti-prostate cancer and
anti-breast cancer properties that can be verified in vitro as well as in vivo.
Considering its purity, mostly available as “organically grown”
berries, availability at low cost, wide acceptance in culinary delights
of many cultures world-wide, Allspice may have an additional space in
most households, in their medicine cabinets.
Keywords: Allspice, cancer, diet and chemoprevention, eugenol, ericifolin, Pimenta dioica, quercetin
