Piper umbellatum is also known by a wide variety of local names, including pariparóba or caapéba in Brazil;[2] acoyo, cordoncillo, or hierba santa in Spanish-speaking Latin America; kubamba (also kamamba or camamba) in the Philippines; gandamarom or attanari in India; lemba or lomba in Malaysia; and bumbu in Indonesia; among other names.

[4][5] Parts of the plant is edible, commonly the young leaves and flowers are eaten steamed as a vegetable.

In 2002, a research group based at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University[7] discovered antibacterial properties of the plant specific to Helicobacter pylori.

Two years later in laboratory testing at the Pharmaceutical Sciences College (FCF) of the University of São Paulo, molecules found within the plant were demonstrated to have UVB-protective properties.

For its medicinal and cosmetic promise, the Brazilian pharmaceutical company Natura obtained exclusive marketing rights to products developed from the plant.