Kava-Kava

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Oceania, Turkey, Southseas, CO, JP, NO, SE

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Antiseptic, Aphrodisiac, Diuretic, Expectorant

Science studied: CINNAMIC-ACID, DIHYDROKAWAIN, DIHYDROKAWAIN-5-OL, FLAVOKAWIN-A

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Piperaceae

Scientific name: Piper methysticum

Common names: Kava-Kava, Borsfélék, Cabé jawa, Famîleya bîberên reş, Họ Hồ tiêu, Karabibergiller, Paparovke, Peber-familien, Peberfamilien, Peper-familie, Peperfamilie, Pepper family, Peppers, Pfeffergewächse, Pieprzowate, Pimientas, Piperacee, Piperàcies, Pipiriniai, Pipralised, Piprujacoj

History

The source record documents this plant in Oceania, Turkey, Southseas, Elsewhere, CO, JP, NO, SE.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Antiseptic
• Aphrodisiac
• Diuretic
• Expectorant
• Intoxicant
• Narcotic
• Sedative
• Stimulant

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Oceania
• Turkey
• Southseas
• Elsewhere
• CO
• JP
• NO
• SE

Documented cultural uses

• Antiseptic
• Aphrodisiac
• Diuretic
• Expectorant
• Intoxicant
• Narcotic
• Sedative
• Stimulant
• Tonic
• Urogenital
• Sudorific
• Anodyne

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Evaluating the Pattern of Kava (Piper methysticum) Consumption in Australia by Wastewater-Based Epidemiology. · 2026 source ↗
• Kavalactone profiling of Piper methysticum root and rhizome extracts and the modulation of CYP450 activity in vitro. · 2026 source ↗
• Chemical standardization of kava (<i>Piper methysticum</i>) extract using UHPLC-MS/MS and the method of standard addition. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• CINNAMIC-ACID
• DIHYDROKAWAIN
• DIHYDROKAWAIN-5-OL
• FLAVOKAWIN-A
• KAWAINIC-ACID
• 3,4-(METHYLENE-DIOXY)CINNAMYLIDENACETOL
• METHYSTICIN
• 5,6,7,8-TETRAHYDROYANGONIN
• BENZOIC-ACID
• DESMETHOXYYANGONIN
• 5-DIHYDROYANGONIN
• CINNAMYLIDENACETOL
• 11-METHOXYNORYANGONIN
• PIPERMETHYSTINE
• 2',4'-DIMETHYLCHALCONARINGENIN
• 11-METHOXYYANGONIN

Legality

Country-specific legal status is not documented in this record.

Consult the CITES species checklist for international trade protections and listings. This is not a complete statement of local law.

Reference images

Sources

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

No published revisions are documented for this record. Community submissions enter review and retain attribution before any published change.