Congona

Botanical Overview

Congona (Peperomia galioides) belongs to the Piperaceae family. While not among the most extensively documented medicinal plants, this species has recorded uses that warrant attention from researchers and practitioners. This species belongs to the Piperaceae family, a group of flowering plants.

General Description

P. galioides has petioles of less than 1mm long and leaves between 5-30mm. There has been research in Colombia and Peru to know about the essential oils of this species. It was traditionally used in Peruvian herbal medicine.

ⓘ Information
Description adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Family Context

The Piperaceae family is widely distributed. Notable medicinal members include:

Geographic Distribution

Congona has been recorded in 10 countries and territories worldwide, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and others.

Active Compounds

Phytochemical research has identified 5 compounds in this species, including a diverse array of phytochemical classes (see the Complete Chemical Inventory below for the full list).

ⓘ Information
Information on this page is compiled from Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases (USDA ARS), a public domain resource. Consult a healthcare professional before using any herbal preparation.

Distribution and Conservation

Reported distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela.

Complete Use Records

CategoryCultural Context
PhilterPanama(Choco)

Complete Chemical Inventory

CompoundFormulaMW
GRIFOLIC-ACIDC₂₃H₃₂O₄372.5 Da
GRIFOLINC₂₂H₃₂O₂328.5 Da
HYDROPIPERONEC₂₂H₃₂O₃344.5 Da
PIPEROGALINC₂₂H₃₂O₂328.5 Da
PIPEROGALONEC₂₂H₃₀O₃342.5 Da

Data from PubChem (NIH/NLM, public domain).


References & Further Reading

External Research Links

Data Sources