Kankola
Piper cubeba L.f.
Kankola (Piper cubeba L.f.) is a plant drug, also called Cinatiksna, Cinosana and Kakkola, from the Piperaceae family. Not in current WHO monographs; historically included in many pharmacopeias including European Pharmacopoeia (historical); recognized in Ayurvedic, Unani, and Chinese traditional medicine.
| Botanical name | Piper cubeba L.f. |
|---|---|
| Family | Piperaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Piperales |
| Pharmacopoeia status | Not in current WHO monographs; historically included in many pharmacopeias including European Pharmacopoeia (historical); recognized in Ayurvedic, Unani, and Chinese traditional medicine |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 7606629 · Wikidata Q161927 · NCBI Taxonomy 405322 |
| Sanskrit | Cinatiksna, Cinosana, कक्कोल (kakkola), कङ्कोल (kaṅkola), Kankolaka |
|---|---|
| Hindi | कबाबचीनी (kabābacīnī), शीतलचीनी (śītalacīnī) |
| English | Cubebs, Tailed Pepper |
| Tamil | வால்மிளகு, Vaali milaku, Valmilagu |
| Malayalam | Cheenamulaku, Takkolam, Valmulaku |
| Telugu | Chalavamiriyalu, Tokamiriyalu |
| Kannada | Balamenasu, Gandhamenasu |
| Marathi | Kankol |
| Bengali | Kahabchini, Sugandhamaricha |
| Gujarati | Chanakabab |
| Urdu | Kababchini |
| Punjabi | Kababchini, Sardchini |
| Oriya | Kababchini |
| Assamese | Kababcheni, Kakkol |
| Kashmiri | Kababchini, Kushfal |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANKOLA monograph (Piper cubeba Linn.f.), Hindi slot "Seetalchini, Kababchini"; MMPND (plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Piper.html) gives Hindi "कबाब चीनी Kabab chini" for Piper cubeba.; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANKOLA monograph (Piper cubeba Linn.f.), Hindi slot "Seetalchini, Kababchini"; MMPND Piper page, Hindi "शीतल चीनी Sheetal chini".; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANKOLA monograph (Piper cubeba Linn.f.), Sanskrit slot "Kankolaka, Cinosana, Cinatiksna, Kakkola, Kankolika"; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANKOLA monograph (Piper cubeba Linn.f.), Tamil slot "Vaali milaku, Valmilagu"; MMPND Piper page lists Tamil "Vaalmilagu" for Piper cubeba.; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANKOLA monograph (mature dried fruits of Piper cubeba Linn.f.), Sanskrit slot "Kankolaka, Cinosana, Cinatiksna, Kakkola, Kankolika" (api-all.txt line 7974 ff.). How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2007 to 2025, 11 with a DOI.
- 4Other clinical studies and reviews
- 8Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Cubeb |
| Latin/Botanical | Piper cubeba L.f. |
Key Phytochemical Constituents
- Cubebin (major lignan)
- Piperine
- Sesamin and hinokinin
- Cubebinionolide and cubebinone
- Dihydrocubebin, yatein, clusin
- Essential oil: sabinene, alpha-copaene, delta-cadinene
How does it work?
- Anti-inflammatory activity via cubebin-mediated inhibition of NF-kB pathway and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines
- Antibacterial mechanism through disruption of bacterial cell membrane integrity by lignans and essential oil components
- Proposed antidiabetic mechanism: alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzyme inhibition
- Proposed hepatoprotective and nephroprotective mechanism: antioxidant activity against oxidative stress
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Digestive and carminative (Deepana-Pachana): traditionally used as a digestive and carminative.
- Respiratory disorders and cough (Kasa-hara): traditionally used as an expectorant for respiratory complaints and cough. Laboratory studies have reported antimicrobial activity of the essential oil against respiratory pathogens.
- Urogenital health (Mutra-roga): traditionally used for urinary tract infections. Laboratory studies have reported antimicrobial activity.
- Oral health freshener (Mukha-shodhana): traditionally used for oral care and to freshen the mouth. Laboratory studies have reported antibacterial activity.
What do recent studies show?
- Drissi BE, Mahdi I, Ortaakarsu AB and others 2024. Cubeb (Piper cubeba L.): nutritional value, phytochemical profiling and dermacosmeceutical properties. Frontiers in nutrition. PMID 38835963 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1352548
Identified novel dermacosmeceutical applications of cubeb extracts with documented antioxidant, anti-aging, and skin-protective properties alongside nutritional value.
Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.
Recent safety updates
- Generally recognized as safe in culinary amounts; excessive consumption may cause gastrointestinal irritation and kidney inflammation
- Limited pharmacokinetic and clinical data; no systematic toxicological studies in humans; potential interactions with diabetes medications due to hypoglycemic effects
What is it made of?
Key Active Markers
- Piperine
- Sesamin
- Sabinene
- Cubebin
- Cubebinionolide and cubebinone
- Dihydrocubebin
- Essential oil
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Vati (tablet), Capsule, Taila (oil), Avaleha (confection)
Standard Dosage: 1-3 g powder twice daily; 3-5 drops essential oil (diluted); as adjuvant in formulations
Optimal Timing: After meals for digestive support; before meals for appetite stimulation
Storage: Store in tightly sealed, amber glass containers at 15-25°C. Powder formulations lose potency rapidly if exposed to air; nitrogen-flushed packaging recommended.
Marker Compounds: Cubebin, Cubebic acid, 1,8-Cineole, Alpha-cubebene, Beta-cubebene, Copaene, Eugenol
Synergistic Combinations
- Ela (Cardamom) for digestive formulations
- Lavanga (Clove) for oral health preparations
- Jatiphala (Nutmeg) for carminative synergy
- Maricha (Black pepper) for bioavailability enhancement
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Other clinical studies and reviews4
- 2025. "Pepper": Different Spices, One Name-Analysis of Sensory and Biological AspectsMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 40363698 · doi:10.3390/molecules30091891
- 2023. A review on multi-therapeutic potential of (-)-cubebin: experimental evidencesNatural product research. PMID 36775642 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2023.2177849
- 2022. Cubeb (Piper cubeba L.f.): A comprehensive review of its botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses, and pharmacological propertiesFrontiers in nutrition. PMID 36483927 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1048520
- 2018. Medicinal Attributes of Lignans Extracted from Piper Cubeba: Current DevelopmentsChemistryOpen. PMID 29435403 · doi:10.1002/open.201700182
Laboratory and animal studies8
- 2024. Cubeb (Piper cubeba L.): nutritional value, phytochemical profiling and dermacosmeceutical propertiesFrontiers in nutrition. PMID 38835963 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1352548
- 2023. Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles through the Piper cubeba ethanolic extract and their enzyme inhibitory activitiesFrontiers in chemistry. PMID 36909711 · doi:10.3389/fchem.2023.1065986
- 2023. Larvicidal potential of extracts and isolated compounds from Piper cubeba fruits against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) larvaeNatural product research. PMID 36214554 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2022.2131784
- 2022. Effect of Piper cubeba total extract and isolated lignans on head and neck cancer cell lines and normal fibroblastsJournal of pharmacological sciences. PMID 34924135 · doi:10.1016/j.jphs.2021.09.002
- 2019. Antibacterial and Antispore Activities of Isolated Compounds from Piper cubeba LMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 31454974 · doi:10.3390/molecules24173095
- 2016. Assessment of antinociceptive, antipyretic and antimicrobial activity of Piper cubeba L. essential oil in animal modelsPakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 27113306
- 2008. Piper cubeba demonstrates anti-estrogenic and anti-inflammatory propertiesPlanta medica. PMID 18219597 · doi:10.1055/s-2008-1034290
- 2007. Evaluation of piper cubeba extract, (-)-cubebin and its semi-synthetic derivatives against oral pathogensPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 17236178 · doi:10.1002/ptr.2088
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
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