The Art of NATURE, The Art of SCIENCE
Common names | Allspice, Pimento, Jamaica pimento, Jamaica pepper, Pimenta, Myrtle pepper
Scientific name | Pimenta dioica
Used part | Fruit
Known active compounds | eugenol, gallic acid, vanillin, quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin
Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant
Product name | Allspice-ANB
Plant Story
Allspice (Pimenta dioica), also known as pimento, Jamaica pimento, Jamaica pepper, pimenta, or myrtle pepper, is an evergreen tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America. Unripe berries are usually sun-dried for culinary uses. Allspice is an important ingredient in Caribbean cuisine, such as Jamaican jerk seasoning. It has a distinct flavor, hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and cloves. Spanish explorers found the allspice plant in the late 1400s and mistakenly identified it as a pepper. The genus name ‘Pimenta’ was from the Spanish word pimienta, which means pepper. In the Caribbean region, allspice has been historically used for medicinal purposes. In Jamaica, allspice was consumed with hot tea to treat colds, dysmenorrhea, and dyspepsia. Crushed allspice berries were applied for bruises, sore joints, and myalgia in Guatemala.
Chemical constituents and anti-oxidant activity have been reported. Compounds like eugenol, thymol, pimentol, gallic acid, syringic acid, vanillin, and ellagic acid were identified from allspice berries. Among these compounds, eugenol and vanillin exhibited high anti-oxidant activity analyzed by ORAC assay, compared to other identified compounds. Another study reported quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin derivatives and showed anti-oxidant activity of these compounds by DPPH assay.