Alligator pepper is widely used by many ethinc groups in Nigeria for various purposes.It is served along with Kola nuts to guests for entertainment, as communion and used for religious rites by diviners for invoking spirits. It is a common ingredient in pepper soup, a spicy delight in most parts of West Africa.For ages, alligator pepper has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases. The extracts of its seeds has been used for years in the treatment of infectious diseases as well as in treating wounds and prevention of infections.In a study, researchers also tried to ascertain the potency of its extract in the prevention of many common disease-causing germs which include Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherictaia coli, Salmonella typhi and klebsiella pneumonia. These are germs that causes food poisoning, pneumonia, blood infections and other deadly diseasesThe study was carried out by Doherty, V. Funmilayo in collaboration with Olaniran, O.Oluwakemi both from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos was entitled 'Antimicrobial Activities of Aframomum Melegueta (Alligator Pepper)'and published in the July, 2010 issue of the International Journal of Biology.The study found that the seed extract of alligator pepper inhibited the growth of all the bacteria tested, suggesting that the plant extract had broad spectrum in activity (acts against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria). Higher antimicrobial activity of the extracts was observed on E.coli, Klebsiella spp and Salmonella spp at high concentration.That alligator pepper was able to halt multiplication of the virus in the laboratory is of great implication as it portends the possibility of giving the human body a chance to fight off disease-causing germs.Although the aqueous extract was found to be less effective when compared with ethanolic extract, the researchers wrote that 'the antimicrobial effect of alligator pepper is due to the phytochemical constituents present in it. Aframomum melegueta seeds are rich in phytonutrient such as flavonoids, phenolic compound tannins, saponin, terpernoids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids.'The biological function of flavonoids includes protection against allergies, inflammation, free radicals, platelet aggregation, microbes, ulcers, hepatoxins, viruses and tumors. This may be the reason behind the use of the extracts of this plant in the treatment of intestinal troubles in herbal medicine.According to the scientists, the presence of phenolic compounds in the seed of alligator pepper indicate that this plant might be an antimicrobial agent. This is because phenols and phenolic compounds have been extensively used in disinfection and remain the standard with which other bactericides are compared.Meanwhile, they stated that considering that alligator pepper was rich in such phytochemical constituents such as flavonoids, it explains its inclusion in many herbal remedies for protection against allergies, inflammation, platelet aggregation, ulcers, toxins that affect the liver and tumours.This could also be the reason behind the use of the extracts of this plant in the treatment of intestinal troubles, treating wounds, burns and hemorrhoids, as well as an immune enhancer and hormone modulators in herbal medicine.They concluded the plant, Aframomum melegueta, can be of immense use in phytomedicine and can be included in health care delivery system particularly in the developing economies considering the effectiveness of the extracts of the seed of alligator pepper as an antimicrobial agent.But alligator pepper is reputedly aphrodisiacs, worm expellant, stimulants and diuretics as well as useful in the treatment of measles, leprosy, low breast milk production and excessive bleeding after child birth. Studies carried out on laboratory rats support the idea that they increase the libido (in rats) and that they can reduce pain and inflammation so may be good to treat arthritis. However they have yet to be tested on human beings.In addition, an ethnobotanical survey on plants used as male contraceptive in the South-western part of Nigeria named alligator pepper as an herbal male contraceptives. The inventory was published in the African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.Nonetheless, plants have provided a good source of anti-infective agents in the fight against microbial infections. They are effective in the treatment of infectious diseases while simultaneously mitigating many of the side effects that are often associated with synthetic antimicrobials. They are effective, yet gentle. Many plants have tropisms to specific organs or systems in the body.Indeed, phytomedicines derived from plants have shown great promise in the treatment of intractable infectious diseases, including opportunistic Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) infections. Until now, plants have provided a source of inspiration for novel drug compounds, as plant derived medicines have made large contributions to human health and well-being.
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