← The ApothecaryAnacardiaceaeleaves, fruits (pink peppercorns), resin, barkFact-checked 24 October 2026

Peruvian pepper

Schinus molle

Also calledMolle, mulli (Andes) · Pirul, pirú (Mexico) · Aroeira (Brazil) · Qundoberibere (Ethiopia)

In older monographsSchinus areira (often treated together with S. molle; taxonomy contested)

An Andean tree, now planted worldwide, whose berries flavoured ancient Andean chicha and whose leaves are used in Andean folk medicine as baths and poultices for rheumatism and bruises. In Mexico and Ethiopia it is also taken for digestive, liver and urinary complaints. Research is limited to animal and test-tube work; a 2026 review notes that no reproducible medicinal candidate has emerged.

What it is used for

Diarrhoea
Limited
Leaf juice is taken for diarrhoea in Tigray, Ethiopia. In mice, a leaf-and-fruit extract (100–400 mg/kg) delayed onset of castor-oil diarrhoea and reduced the number and weight of stools. Animal work only.²
Liver health
Limited
Used in Ethiopia for jaundice and liver disease. In mice given a liver toxin (carbon tetrachloride), leaf and fruit extracts improved liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP) and bilirubin. Animal work only.²
Blood sugar and diabetes
Limited
A 2025 review notes some reports of traditional use for diabetes and finds fruit extracts and compounds inhibit α-glucosidase in vitro, while other extracts were inactive in pancreatic-cell and α-amylase tests. The review states clinical trials in people with diabetes are still pending.³
Arthritis and joint pain
Traditional
The core Andean use: leaf decoctions, baths and cataplasms for rheumatism. A Bolivian market survey found musculoskeletal complaints among the largest categories of recorded use. Rodent studies of leaf extracts found analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, but no human trials exist.¹
Bruises and sprains
Traditional
Applied externally in Andean folk medicine for contusions, sprains and swellings. No clinical data.¹
Urinary tract infections
Traditional
Mexican urban herbal practice (Guadalajara) records pirul for urinary tract infections and as a diuretic. No clinical data.⁴
Mouth ulcers and gum health
Traditional
In Mexico the resin is chewed to strengthen the gums. In a test-tube study, only the undiluted ethanolic extract significantly inhibited a resistant Candida albicans strain (an oral yeast), and less than fluconazole did.^4,5
Eyes
Traditional
A gum emulsion is used in Mexico for eye problems such as cataracts and corneal spots. Untested, and putting plant preparations in the eye carries obvious risk.⁴

How it is prepared

decoction

Leaves boiled in water, used for washes and baths or as a compress on painful joints (Andean use).

Arthritis and joint pain · Bruises and sprains

poultice

Leaf cataplasms applied to sprains, contusions and swellings.

Bruises and sprains · Arthritis and joint pain

juice

Fresh leaf juice taken by mouth (Tigray, Ethiopia).

Diarrhoea · Liver health

Amounts are as recorded by the named source, not a recommendation.

Safety

Pregnancy: Avoid
Breastfeeding: Insufficient data

Do not use if

Pregnancy: some Mexican users consider the leaf extracts abortive (folk belief, not tested)

Side effects

Slight, reversible skin irritation from leaf extracts applied to rat skin

Toxicity

An aqueous leaf infusion extract showed no acute toxicity or genotoxicity in rats up to 2000 mg/kg, and leaf and fruit extracts caused no deaths in mice at 2000 mg/kg. The leaf essential oil, by contrast, was genotoxic to macrophages in vitro. No human safety studies found. Unlike some relatives in the cashew family, it lacks urushiol-type contact allergens.

In the healing traditions

Andean / Amazonian
Molle, mulli
Leaves as decoctions, baths and cataplasms for rheumatism, contusions, sprains and swellings; berries used to brew molle chicha.
Market and community ethnobotanical surveys (Macía et al. 2005; Bussmann 2013; Monigatti et al. 2013), as reviewed by Puelles-Díaz et al. 2026
Mesoamerican
Pirul
Urban Mexican use as antiseptic, carminative and stomachic; for urinary tract infections, skin ulcers, gastroduodenal disorders and respiratory infections; resin chewed for the gums; gum emulsion for eye complaints; most often in baths for women at childbirth, though some consider the leaf extracts abortive.
Ethnobotanical survey of Guadalajara (Martínez-González et al. 2025)
African traditional medicine
Qundoberibere (Amharic, South Wollo)
Ethiopia: leaf juice drunk for jaundice and diarrhoea (Tigray); fruit with Solanum nigrum leaves for jaundice (West Gojjam); leaves and fruit chewed and spat into livestock eyes for eye disease (South Wollo).
Ethiopian ethnobotanical surveys cited by Belayneh et al. 2024 and Wondimnew et al. 2025

Active compounds

isomasticadienonic acid and other masticadienoic-type triterpenoids: triterpenoids of the fruit; isomasticadienonic acid is among the α-glucosidase inhibitors; molle-specific triterpenoids identified chicha residues in ancient ceramics
α-phellandrene, β-myrcene, limonene, β-phellandrene: dominant monoterpenes of a Chilean fruit essential oil; profile varies with origin and chemotype
proanthocyanidins, rutin and phenylpropanoid acids: main constituents of an aqueous leaf infusion extract tested for toxicity

History

Molle has been used in the Andes for centuries. Archaeological brewery remains contain molle seeds consistent with high-status, specialised brewing, and residue analysis of brewing ceramics identified molle-specific triterpenoids that distinguish molle chicha from maize chicha. Linnaeus named the genus Schinus from the Greek for the mastic tree, after its aromatic resin.

Sources

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.