ScienceAugust 22, 2026

piperlongumine

PY-pur-long-GYOO-meen

Definition

A chemical compound derived from long pepper plants that has been shown in laboratory studies to potentially reverse cellular ageing.

Etymology

The name is derived from the scientific name of the long pepper plant, 'Piper longum', combined with the chemical suffix '-ine', denoting a plant-derived alkaloid.

In the news

Researchers identified piperlongumine as a promising candidate for anti-ageing treatments because it helped make older cells appear more youthful in laboratory experiments.

Researchers develop tool to estimate biological age of cell

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