| 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: 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:
Study showed the extract to inhibit the radiation-induced
lipid peroxidation process effectiviely with elevation of the antioxidant
status in the study animals.
•
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:
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.
• 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.
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.
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