Technological prospection of therapeutic patents from Piper spp. in Brazil

The genus Piper stands out for the prevalence of species with pharmaceutical bioprospecting potential. Ethnobotanical investigations point to several uses of Piper spp. species in traditional medicine, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal conditions. This review aims to identify and analyze the patents related to Piper in Brazil. The patents referring to species of the genus Piper were retrieved from the Brazilian intellectual property database INPI. A total of 48 patent documents were collected. Most of the patents filed (93.75%) are related to human needs (type A), mostly related to antimicrobial, repellent, and anti-inflammatory activities. The applications found demonstrate the potential for sustainable use of the species for the development of herbal medicines. Though underexplored, Piper spp. have great potential for employment in the pharmaceutical industry. The implementation of value chains to produce plant drugs from these species may constitute a relevant option for the economic development of traditional communities. Moreover, using these as raw materials for the development of Brazilian herbal medicines may offer new therapeutic alternatives in phytotherapy. However, their utilization must be done in a sustainable way, as in Brazil they come from the Atlantic Forest, a type of vegetation under high risk.