Hoja santa (Piper auritum) refers to an important presence in Mexican cuisine. The information of this review article was gathered from several electronic sources such as Scopus, Medline, Scielo, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Lilacs. Phytochemical studies have revealed the presence of benzoic acid derivatives, phenylpropanoids and triterpenoids, while the essential oils have shown its richness in safrole, hence it has several activities, such as antioxidant, toxicity, insecticidal, anti-diabetic and cytotoxic properties. This review is expected to draw the attention of medical professionals and the general public towards P. auritum as well as to open the door for detailed research in the future.
Keywords: Piper auritum; pharmacology; phenylpropanoid; phytochemistry; safrole.
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