| Description
· A glabrous climbing
vine reaching a height of 2 to 4 m.
· Upper leaves ovate, 10 to 13 cm long, mostly 7 nerved from
near the base, the pair of nerves free to the base, apex acuminate,
base somewhat inequilaterally rounded or cordate, the petioles 1.5 to
2.5 cm long sheathing.
· Flowers: male spikes about as long as the leaves, about 2 mm
in diameter, the rachis hirsute. Female spikes, when mature, red fleshy
2 to 4 cm long, 0.5 to 1 cm thick.
· Fruits: drupes
Distribution
Cultivated throughout
the Philippines.
Wild in most provinces of Luzon.
Parts
utilized and preparation
Vines and leaves.
May be collected throughout the year.
Rinse, cut into pieces, sun-dry.
Characteristics
and Pharmacological Effects:
Pungent tasting
and warming.
Relieves gastrointestinal disorders.
Flatulence or tympanism: Spread oil on leaf, warm, and apply
on abdomen.
Antitussive, antiseptic, sialogogue.
Constituents
Chief constituent of the
leaves is the volatile oil, Betel oil.
Volatile oil, 0.8 - 1.8% - chavicol, betelphenol, eugenol, allyl pyrocatechin,
terpene, cineol, caryophyllene, cadinene, menthone.
Uses
Folkloric
· Rheumatic bone
pains
· Gastric pain due to exposure to wind, indigestion.
· Bronchial asthma.
· Dosage: use 9 to 15 gms dried material or 30 to 60 gms fresh
material in decoction.
- Applied as a poultice (dikdik-tapal) on the stomach of infants for
colic; for skin inflammation
Others
- A ritual masticatory – dabbed with small amounts of apog (lime)
and wrapped around a betel nut, chewed as "nga-nga."
Studies
•Anti-Platelet Aggravating
Factory: Evaluation of
Piper betle on Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) Receptor Binding Activities:
Results showed antagonistc activity towards the PAF (platelet activating
factor) in rabbit platelet receptor binding studies.
• Phenolics / Anti-Photosensitizer:
Inhibitory property of the Piper betel phenolics against photosensitization-induced
biological damages: PB phenolics,
allylpyrocatechol (APC) may play a role in protecting biological systems
against damage by eliminating O2 generated from certain endogenous photosensitizers.
• Antioxidant / Hepatoprotective:
Influence of Piper betle on Hepatic Marker Enzymes and Tissue Antioxidant
Status in Ethanol-Treated Wistar Rats: Results indicate P. betle provide
a significant hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect.
• Antibacterial:
Study showed PB had a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against
all test pathogens, including Rastonia, Xanthomonas and Erwinia. Test
also showed that PB solvent extract had an action superior to streptomycin.
• Hepatoprotective / Chemopreventive / Anti-Liver Fibrosis: Protection
effect of piper betel leaf extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced
liver fibrosis in rats: Study supports
a chemopreventive potential of PB leaves against liver fibrosis.
• Antioxidant:
(1) Study showed the extract to inhibit the radiation-induced
lipid peroxidation process effectiviely with elevation of the antioxidant
status in the study animals. (2) The frequent blood transfusions in HbE-beta thalassemia cause an iron overload that triggers an enhanced generation of free radicals. The study showed the ethanolic extract of Piper betle has promising antioxidant activity against erythrocytes from patients with HbE-beta thalassemia.
•
Chemical Constituents / Insect Attractant
Property: Study yielded chavibetol and
B-sitosterol from the petroleum ether extract and allylpyrocatechol
from the methanol extract. Field tests in a cornfield using traps containing
the extracts did not detech adult moths of Ostrinia salentialis.
•
Pro-apoptoti Effect / Anti-Leishmaniasis:
In a comparative in vitro anti-leishmanial activity
of methanolic extracts from two landraces of Piper betle. The PB-BM
(P betle landrace Bangla Mahoba) selectively inhibited both stages of
Leishmania parasites without macrophage cytotoxicity. The efficacy mediated
through apoptosis is probably due to higher content of eugenol.
•
Bacteriostatic / Dental Plaque:
(1) A study investigating the bacteriostatic effect
of Piper betle and P guajava showed both extracts have bacteriostatic
effect on the plaque bacteria through suppression of growth and propagation
of cells. Results suggest the decoction of plants would be a suitable
if used in the control of dental plaque. (2) Results of study showed the crude extract of P betle leaves may exert anticariogenic activities related to a decrease in acid production and changes to the ultrastructure of S mutans.
• Antihyperglycemic
/ Diabetes: Study evaluated the effect of P betle on
glucose metabolish since it is consumed as betel-quid after meals. Results
showed that P betle intake infuences glucose metabolism beneficially.
• Antioxidant
in STZ-Diabetic Rats: Study showed the leaf suspension of P betle showed significant antioxidant effects in STZ diabetic rats.
• Potential Natural Antioxidant: Study was carried out on CEE (cold ethanolic extract), HWE (hot water extract) and EO (essential oil) of the leaves of P betle grown in Sri Lanka. The initial free radical scavenging activity was higher in CEE. There were no deviation sin the the antioxidant activity of the 3 extracts up to 12 months. CEE extended the shelf-life of potato chips and increased the stability of Aloe gel.
• Carcinogenicity: Study of rats on rats fed a dry powder of betel nuts, leaves and lime showed epidermal thickening in the upper digestive tracts in rats fed the betel nut mixed with lime and the betel leaves diet. A forestomach papilloma was seen in one rat on betel leaves diet. The epidermal changes were scarcely seen in rats on either betel nut or normal diet alone.
• Allypyrocatechol / Gastroprotective / Anti-Ulcer: The piper betel phenol, allypyrocatechol, its major antioxidant constituent, showed it can protect against indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration due to its antioxidant and mucin protecting properties.
• Neuroprotective in Brain Alcohol Toxicity: The brain of ethanol-treated rats exhibited increased levels of lipids, lipid peroxidation and disturbances in antioxidant defenses. Study showed neuroprotective effects of P betle in experimetally induced alcohol toxicity.
Contact
dermatitis
• Betel quid assembly is commonly causes contact dermatitis, most
of it is irritant caused by alkaline slaked lime (apog). Occasional
cases are caused by the P betle inflorescence.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
