Piper Betle

The present study was executed to identify the suitable integrated nitrogen management on vine growth and leaf characters of betel vine (Piper betle L.) cv. Simurali Deshi, Simurali Bhabna and Halisahar Sanchi in new alluvial zone of West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design, replicated thrice with eight treatments of integrated nitrogen management. It was noted that treatments in combination with inorganic and organic sources of nitrogen produced better results than the treatments with sole application of organic source of nitrogen. Application of 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (200 kg/ha) in the form of mustard oil cake and urea in equal proportion (1:1) recorded the highest vine growth (273.57 cm/ year) in Simurali Deshi, leaf petiole length (8.04 cm) in Simurali Bhabna, intermodal length (4.88 cm) in Halisahar Sanchi, number of branches per vine (11.43) in Simurali Bhabna, leaf length (12.24 cm) in Simurali Bhabna, leaf breadth (10.05 cm) in Halisahar Sanchi, leaf area (106.34 cm 2) in Halisahar followed by application of nitrogen from cow dung manure and urea in 1:1 ratio (T2).

Objective: The combination effect of Piper betle (PB) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in enhancing the cytotoxic potential of 5-FU in inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells was investigated. Methods: HT29 and HCT116 cells were subjected to 5-FU or PB treatment. 5-FU and PB were then combined and their effects on both cell lines were observed after 24 h of treatment. PB-5-FU interaction was elucidated by isobologram analysis. Apoptosis features of the treated cells were revealed by annexin V/PI stain. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to exclude any possible chemical interaction between the compounds. Results: In the presence of PB extract, the cytotoxicity of 5-FU was observed at a lower dose (IC 50 12.5 µmol/L) and a shorter time (24 h) in both cell lines. Both cell lines treated with 5-FU or PB alone induced a greater apoptosis effect compared with the combination treatment. Isobologram analysis indicated that PB and 5-FU interacted synergistically and antagonistically in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 cells, respectively. Conclusions: In the presence of PB, a lower dosage of 5-FU is required to achieve the maximum drug effect in inhibiting the growth of HT29 cells. However, PB did not significantly reduce 5-FU dosage in HCT116 cells. Our result showed that this interaction may not solely contribute to the apoptosis pathway. LOOI declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Urfa ev isotu, urfayoresi.com sitesinden özel olarka üretilen Urfaya özgü olarak yetiştirilen biberlerin kurutulması ile elde edilir. Yemeklere kattığı lezzet ve kilo vermeye yardımcı olma özelliği ile ön plana çıkan bu isot çeşidini geniş ürün yelpazemizde sizler için sunuyoruz. Urfa biberlerinin güneş gören özel alanlarda kurutulması ile elde edilen bu doğal ürün ile et yemeklerinize ve çiğ köftelerinize lezzet katabilirsiniz. Urfa Ev İsotu Hangi Yemeklerde Kullanılır? Urfa ev isotumuzu, çiğ köfte, kebap, çorba, baharatlı sulu et yemekleri, kuru fasulye gibi birçok yemek tarifini hazırlarken tercih edebilirsiniz. Özellikle yöresel tadı ön plana alan lahmacun çeşitlerini hazırlarken Urfa isotundan yararlanabilirsiniz. Birden fazla tarifi hazırlarken, hafif acı, topraksı ve ısıtıcı bir aromayı yemeklerinize eklemek için kaliteli bir Urfa ev isotu satın alma arayışı içindeyseniz urfayoresi.com sitesinden satın alabilirsiniz. Urfa Ev İsotu sparişi Toptan Seçenekle Alınır Mı? Urfa ev istomuzu toptan satış hizmetimizden yararlanarak edinebilirsiniz. Restoran, kafe, aktar gibi alanlarda yüksek miktarda Urfa ev isotu satın alma ihtiyacına sahipseniz, sizler için sunduğumuz online satış kapsamında aklınızda yer alan miktar ölçüsünü bizlere bildirebilirsiniz. Dilediğiniz paket veya kilogram değerine bağlı olarak sizlere ileteceğimiz sağlıklı, lezzetli ve taze Urfa ev isotu ile yemeklerinize tat katabilirsiniz. Hizmetimiz kapsamında tam zamanında teslim koşullarımızdan yararlanırsınız. Urfa Ev İsotu Faydaları Nelerdir? Urfa ev isotu tüketiminde elde edeceğiniz faydaları şu şekilde sıralarız:  Bağışıklık sistemini güçlendirir.  Bağışıklığı güçlendirme etkisi ile soğuk algınlığı ve grip gibi hastalıklara yakalanma riskini düşürür.  Metabolizmayı hızlandırarak vücut ısısını dengeler.  Kilo vermeye yardımcı olur.  Antioksidan ve antibakteriyel etkileri ile kanser olma riskiniz düşürür.  Gelişim çağındaki gençlerin ve hamilelerin tüketimine uygunluk sunar.  Kas ve kemikleri güçlendirirken, ödem oluşumlarının önüne geçer.  Damar tıkanıklık riskini düşürme etkisi ile kalp sağlığını korur. Bu gibi faydaları sunan Urfa ev isotu sağlıklı beslenme alışkanlıklarınıza ekleyebileceğiniz bir baharat seçeneğidir. Urfa Ev İsotunu Kimler Tüketmeli? Urfa ev isotu özellikle gelişim çağındaki gençler tarafından tüketilmesi önerilen bir besindir. Kemik ve kas gelişimini desteklemesi açısından, genç yaştan itibaren tüketilebilmektedir. Diğer yandan hamilelik döneminde olan bayanlar, baharat kullanımında isotu tercih ederek vücutları için gerekli olan vitamin ve mineral ihtiyaçlarını karşılayabilirler. Urfa isot çeşidimizin kandaki şeker oranını dengeleyerek yükselişin önüne geçmesi, şeker hastalarının tüketimine uygun koşulları sunmaktadır. Yemekleri sağlıklı şekilde lezzetlendirebilmenize imkan sunan bu orijinal baharatı, Urfa ev isotu online satış hizmetimiz kapsamında sipariş edebilirsiniz.

In this review, the current knowledge on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Piper betle (betel), Piper sarmentosum (wild pepper) and Piper caninum (wild betel) is updated with some description of their botany and uses. Leaves of P. betle contain polyphenols, alkaloids and essential oils, and display broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, substantial quorum sensing inhibition and tyrosinase enhancement activity. They also possess anti-malarial, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective properties. Leaves of P. sarmentosum contain phenylpropanoids, phenylpropanoyl amides, dihydroflavones and essential oils. Wild pepper displays a wide array of pharmacological properties including antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-amoebic, anti-dengue, anti-tuberculosis, cytotoxic, anti-plasmodial, neuromuscular-blocking, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycaemic, anti-atherosclerosis and anti-osteoporosis activities. Leaves of P. caninum contain phenolic compounds, alkaloids and essential oils. Pharmacological properties of wild betel include antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, DNA-damaging, DNA strand-scission and anticancer activities. All three Piper species reviewed possess pharmacological properties, which confer their traditional and contemporary uses as food and herbal medicine.

In the absence of effective and safe treatment of Kala-azar (VL) -a most devastating parasitic disease caused by Leishmania donovani a need for the search of antileishmanial from natural resources, in common use, is imperative. Recently, a comparative in vitro antileishmanial activity of methanolic extract of two landraces of Piper betle-Bangla Mahoba (PB-BMM) and Kapoori Vellaikodi (PB-KVM) has been reported. Herein, the putative pathway responsible for death induced by the effective extract of PB-BMM in promastigotes as well as intracellular amastigotes form of L. donovani was assessed using various biochemical approaches. It was observed that PB-BM is capable of selectively inhibiting both the stages of Leishmania parasites by accelerating apoptotic events by generation of ROS targeting mitochondrion without any cytotoxicity to macrophages. Study was extended to reason out the presence/absence of activity in PB-BMM and PB-KVM on the basis of differences in essential oil composition present in methanolic extract assessed by gas chromatography and mass spectra. The essential oil from PB-BM was found to be rich in eugenol as compared to PB-KV. The antileishmanial efficacy of PB-BMM mediated through apoptosis is probably due to the higher content of eugenol in active landrace. This observation emphasizes the need of extending the studies related to traditional medicines from bioactive plants below species to gender/landrace level for better efficacy and reproducibility.

Alcoholic extract of Piper betle (Piper betle L.) leaves was recently found to induce apoptosis of CML cells expressing wild type and mutated Bcr-Abl with imatinib resistance phenotype. Hydroxychavicol (HCH), a constituent of the alcoholic extract of Piper betle leaves, was evaluated for anti-CML activity. Here, we report that HCH and its analogues induce killing of primary cells in CML patients and leukemic cell lines expressing wild type and mutated Bcr-Abl, including the T315I mutation, with minimal toxicity to normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. HCH causes early but transient increase of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species-dependent persistent activation of JNK leads to an increase in endothelial nitric oxide synthasemediated nitric oxide generation. This causes loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, cleavage of caspase 9, 3 and poly-adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase leading to apoptosis. One HCH analogue was also effective in vivo in SCID mice against grafts expressing the T315I mutation, although to a lesser extent than grafts expressing wild type Bcr-Abl, without showing significant bodyweight loss. Our data describe the role of JNK-dependent endothelial nitric oxide synthase-mediated nitric oxide for anti-CML activity of HCH and this molecule merits further testing in pre-clinical and clinical settings. (Cancer Sci, I matinib (also known as STI571 or Gleevec), a small-molecule inhibitor of the Bcr-Abl kinase, has been used successfully to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, (1) but resistance has emerged against this drug. The T315I mutation is the most predominant among the mutations found in imatinib-resistant patients.

Frequently existing resistance to available antimalarial agents causes the need to find new active compounds against malaria parasites. For this goal, traditional medicinal plants have been proved to be more predictive for these antimalarial potentials. The crude methanol extract of Piper betle leaves (50-400 mg/kg) was investigated for antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei (NK65) infections in mice. The antimalarial activities during early and established infections as well as the prophylactic activity were investigated. The phytochemical and antioxidant potentials of the crude extract were evaluated to elucidate the possibilities of their antimalarial mechanisms. The safety of the extract was also investigated by the acute oral toxicity test, limit test, in ICR mice of both sexes. The leaf extract demonstrated significant (P < 0.05-0.001) schizonticidal activity in all the three models of the antimalarial evaluations. Phytochemical screening showed that the leaf extract contains some vital antiplasmodial chemical constituents. The extract also exhibited a potent ability to scavenge the free radicals. The results of acute toxicity showed that the methanol extract of Piper betle leaves is toxicologically safe by oral administration. The results suggest that the Malaysian folkloric medicinal application of the extract of Piper betle leaf has a pharmacological basis.

The preparation of a betel quid generally involves the combination of slaked lime with two plant products: the seed of Areca catechu L. (‘areca nut’) and the leaf of Piper betle L. (‘betel leaf’). This paper aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on how the habit of betel chewing originated and was diffused across Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Pacific Islands before the common era. The limited biogeographical data available on the two plant species are consistent with a restricted natural distribution which was followed by a wide dispersal by human agency. A critical review of past archaeobotanical reports from South India to Papua New Guinea challenges some of the earliest dates claimed for betel chewing. By synthesizing evidence from the disciplines of archaeology, historical linguistics and textual analysis on the plants and the material culture of betel chewing, a picture emerges that is far more complex than had previously been suggested. Currently no single model of dispersal, such as the migration of Austronesian speakers, fully explains the transmission of A. catechu L. and P. betle L. across Asia. However, a number of biological and cultural factors can be identified that have facilitated the dynamic expansion of betel chewing across a wide geographic area up to the present.

Species within the genus Candida have been implicated in many fungal diseases such as candidiasis or thrush. The increasing clinical and microbiological resistance of Candida species towards several commonly prescribed antifungal agents however, has lead to the search for new active antifungal compounds from natural resources. This study was carried out to screen the susceptibility of the aqueous extract of Piper betle towards seven species of oral Candida. It was found that P. betle extract exhibited high antifungal activities towards Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida dubliniensis, Candida lusitaniae, Candida krusei and Candida parapsilosis. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) value of P. betle extract towards all Candida species was found to be similar (12 mg/ml) except towards C. albicans which has been shown to have MIC value of 12 mg/ml and slightly higher MFC value of 25 mg/ml. The recorded data on the growth responses of the species to various concentrations of the extract following a 24 h incubation period were analysed, using the percentage inhibition of diameter growth (PIDG) against chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX). The determination of PIDG values for C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. lusitaniae, C. dubliniensis and C. glabrata has shown that the aqueous extract of P. betle outstrips the positive control used, that was 0.12% w/v chlorhexidine with PIDG values of more than 50% at P. betle concentration of 25 mg/ml. In contrast, PIDG for C. krusei and C. parapsilosis shows that at 25 mg/ml concentration of P. betle extract has little influence on growth inhibition compared to CHX. Thus, the results obtained have shown the potential use of P. betle extract as antifungal agent and thus significantly contribute to its antifungal development.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the aqueous extracts of Psidium guajava and Piper betle plants on the proliferation of cancerous cell lines, that is, KB and HeLa cell line. Using the neutral red cytotoxicity assay, the IC(50) of P. guajava and P. betle were determined at 29.0 +/- 0.4 and 29.5 +/- 0.3 mu g/ml, respectively, indicating both plant extracts equally potent for the treatment of cancerous oral epidermal lesions. However, a less potent anti-proliferative activity was recorded by P. guajava towards HeLa cell line with an IC(50) of 51.0 +/- 0.6 mu g/ml, whereas P. betle extract did not affect the proliferation of HeLa.

Betle leaf (Piper betle L.) is a medicinal plant. It contains essential oil and shows various biological activities, such as antibacterial, anticoagulant, etc. It is further reported to have low anticoagulant activities; thus, it is highly potential as a candidate for coagulant drug. Coagulant is used to prevent bleeding for patients with blood clotting disorders like hemophilia. In Indonesia, 1,236 people were reported with hemophilia. The standard parameters of anticoagulant activity are the freezing period and the compound concentrations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of betle leaf's essential oil on blood coagulation in patients with factor VIII and IX of blood plasma disorders. The isolation of essential oil is conducted through steam distillation method with two kinds of solvents, namely distilled water and n-hexane. The obtained n-hexane extract is then separated from the liquid-liquid extraction and rotary evaporator. Essential oil is diluted with citrate plasma solution. The test results of blood clots increase as the concentration of essential oils increase. The results are recorded as such: essential oils ½ times dilution of 99.67 seconds; ¼ times dilution of 127 seconds; 1/8 times dilution of 179 seconds; and 1/16 times dilution of 242.67 seconds. The test above proves that the piper betle extract possesses a coagulant activity. The ethanol extract contained in the piper betle could stimulate clotting in the blood cells. It is caused by the increase of blood plasma concentration which further escalate the plasma fluid into the blood cells. Based on this study, the activity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be obstructed by betle leaf in ½ times dilution. The extract significantly reduces acid which accelerates bacteria development. abstrak Daun Sirih (Piper betle L.) merupakan tanaman obat. Daun sirih terdapat kandungan minyak atsiri dan menunjukkan berbagai aktivitas biologi, diantaranya adalah antibakteri, antikoagulan, dan lain sebagainya. Di Indonesia, jumlah penderita hemofilia dilaporkan 1.236 orang. Koagulan digunakan untuk mencegah pendarahan pada penderitan kelainan pembekuan darah seperti hemofilia. Daun sirih dilaporkan memiliki aktivitas antikoagulan rendah, sehingga sangat potensial untuk kandidat obat koagulan. Parameter standar untuk aktifitas antikoagulan adalah waktu pembekuan dan konsentrasi senyawa. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengetahui pengaruh minyak atsiri daun sirih terhadap pembekuan darah pada penderita kelainan faktor VIII dan IX plasma darah. Isolasi minyak atsiri dilakukan dengan metode destilasi uap menggunakan dua macam pelarut yaitu aquades dan n-heksana. Ekstrak n-heksana yang diperoleh dipisahkan dengan ekstraksi cair-cair dan rotary evaporator. Minyak atsiri didilusi dengan larutan plasma sitrat. Hasil uji pembekuan darah minyak atsiri meningkat seiring konsentrasi minyak atsiri yaitu pengenceran 1/2 kali 99.67 detik; pengenceran 1/4 kali 127 detik; pengenceran 1/8 kali 179 detik; dan pengenceran 1/16 kali 242.67 detik. Pengujian di atas menunjukkan bahwa ekstrak piper betle memiliki aktivitas koagulan. Ekstrak etanol yang terkandung dalam piper betle dapat menyebabkan pembekuan dalam sel-sel darah. Hal ini disebabkan konsentrasi plasma darah naik, yang meningkatkan cairan plasma ke dalam sel darah. Berdasarkan penelitian ini, aktivitas Mycobacterium tuberculosis dapat dihambat oleh ekstrak daun sirih pada pengenceran 1/2 kali. Ekstrak secara signifikan mengurangi sifat asam yang dapat mempercepat perkembangan bakteri.

To cite this Article Singla, Richu, Ganguli, Abhijit, Ghosh, Moushumi and Sohal, Sapna(2009)'Evaluation of sanitizing efficacy of acetic acid on Piper betle leaves and its effect on antioxidant properties',International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition,99999:1, To link to this Article:

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and plasma malondialdehyde levels in aging mice and to evaluate how these measures are modulated by potential antioxidants, including the tocotrienol-rich fraction, Piper betle, and Chlorella vulgaris.

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of betel quid chewing and related factors including general characteristics, behavioral pattern, perception and social influences among health care providers in Thimphu, Bhutan. A self-administered questionnaire was handed to 478 health care providers working in different units of health care centers in Thimphu during June-July 2010. A total of 391 (81.8%) questionnaires were returned. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were applied. The prevalence of current betel quid chewers among this group was 26.6%. Males chewed betel quid more than females (29.5%, 23.9% respectively). Forty-two percent of current chewers had no specific reasons for chewing betel quid, although 18.2% declared that they were addicted. Both friends and family members were key persons involved in influencing betel quid chewing. Marital status was significantly associated with betel quid chewing, married health care providers being 2 times ...

Objective: It has been reported that the aqueous extracts of Psidium guajava and Piper betle leaves showed anti-plaque activities during the early stages of dental plaque formation. The aim of the study was to elucidate if such anti-plaque activities involve any ultra-structural changes to the morphology of three early dental plaque bacteria, Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus mitis and Actinomyces sp. Methodology: Pure cultures of the bacteria were suspended in BHI medium and treated with the test herbal extracts at the sub-lethal concentrations. The growth mixtures were incubated at 37 degrees C. At the logarithmic growth phase (t(1)), aliquots of 1 ml of the growth mixtures were fixed and used in the preparation of specimens for SEM studies. Ultra-structural alterations to the morphology of the treated cells noted were compared to those of the cells cultured under untreated conditions. Results: Following exposure of the bacteria to the two test herbal extracts, profound ultra-structural changes to their morphology were observed. The observed structural or morphological alterations could attribute to the bacteria being less active in performing normal physiological metabolic functions and thus rendering them less efficient to multiply. The changes noted included (i) reduced sizes of the bacteria, and (ii) majority cells at the non-dividing state as compared to those cultured under controlled conditions. Conclusions: This study has shown anti-plaque effects of aqueous extract of both P. betle and P. guajava.

To evaluate the protective activity of allylpyrocatechol (APC), the major antioxidant constituent of Piper betel , against the indomethacin-induced stomach ulceration in the rat model and correlates with its antioxidative and mucin protecting properties.

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Madam, as the world's population continues to expand, the rate of addictive habits and the diseases associated with them are also increasing. The use of addictive substances is becoming a major health concern amongst the Asian children. In South Asian countries like Pakistan, with a current population of 190 million, 1 addictive habits show a progressive upward climb. Addiction to substances like betel quid, areca nut, areca palm, betel palm, cigarette smoking and crushed areca/betel nut (gutka) is becoming very common in Pakistan, especially in Karachi. The more frequently abused substance is betel quid, which is the leaf of a vine, the Piper betel. In Pakistan, betel quid (tam baku wala paan) is betel leaf filled with areca nut (a psychoactive agent), tobacco, spices and slaked lime. The leaf is chewed by more than 10% of the people worldwide who are mostly uneducated and belong to the low socioeconomic class. 2 J Pak Med Assoc

Hydroxychavicol, isolated from the chloroform extraction of the aqueous leaf extract of Piper betle L., (Piperaceae) was investigated for its antifungal activity against 124 strains of selected fungi. The leaves of this plant have been long in use tropical countries for the preparation of traditional herbal remedies. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of hydroxychavicol were determined by using broth microdilution method following CLSI guidelines. Time kill curve studies, post-antifungal effects and mutation prevention concentrations were determined against Candida species and Aspergillus species &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;respectively&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. Hydroxychavicol was also tested for its potential to inhibit and reduce the formation of Candida albicans biofilms. The membrane permeability was measured by the uptake of propidium iodide. Hydroxychavicol exhibited inhibitory effect on fungal species of clinical significance, with the MICs ranging from 15.62 to 500 microg/ml for yeasts, 125 to 500 microg/ml for Aspergillus species, and 7.81 to 62.5 microg/ml for dermatophytes where as the MFCs were found to be similar or two fold greater than the MICs. There was concentration-dependent killing of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata up to 8 x MIC. Hydroxychavicol also exhibited an extended post antifungal effect of 6.25 to 8.70 h at 4 x MIC for Candida species and suppressed the emergence of mutants of the fungal species tested at 2 x to 8 x MIC concentration. Furthermore, it also inhibited the growth of biofilm generated by C. albicans and reduced the preformed biofilms. There was increased uptake of propidium iodide by C. albicans cells when exposed to hydroxychavicol thus indicating that the membrane disruption could be the probable mode of action of hydroxychavicol. The antifungal activity exhibited by this compound warrants its use as an antifungal agent particularly for treating topical infections, as well as gargle mouthwash against oral Candida infections.

OBJECTIVE This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of betel quid chewing and related factors including general characteristics, behavioral pattern, perception and social influences among health care providers in Thimphu, Bhutan. MATERIAL AND METHOD A self-administered questionnaire was handed to 478 health care providers working in different units of health care centers in Thimphu during June-July 2010. A total of 391 (81.8%) questionnaires were returned. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were applied. RESULTS The prevalence of current betel quid chewers among this group was 26.6%. Males chewed betel quid more than females (29.5%, 23.9% respectively). Forty-two percent of current chewers had no specific reasons for chewing betel quid, although 18.2% declared that they were addicted. Both friends and family members were key persons involved in influencing betel quid chewing. Marital status was significantly associated with betel quid chewing, marrie...

The leaves of Piper betle L. (Piperaceae) are widely chewed in Bangladesh as betel quid with or without tobacco. Chewing of leaves of the plant is advised by the folk medicinal practitioners of Bangladesh to alleviate pain (particularly toothache) and lowering of blood sugar, as well as aid the digestive process. The objective of this study was to scientifically evaluate the folk medicinal practitioner’s claims of the antihyperglycemic and antinociceptive properties of Piper betle leaves. Antihyperglycemic activity evaluation was conducted through oral glucose tolerance tests in glucose-loaded Swiss albino mice, while antinociceptive activity tests were performed in gastric pain models in Swiss albino mice, where gastric pain was induced by intraperitoneal administration of acetic acid. In antihyperglycemic activity tests, methanolic extract of leaves demonstrated dose-dependent and significant lowering of blood sugar in glucose-challenged mice. At extract doses of 50, 100, 200 and ...

Madam, as the world's population continues to expand, the rate of addictive habits and the diseases associated with them are also increasing. The use of addictive substances is becoming a major health concern amongst the Asian children. In South Asian countries like Pakistan, with a current population of 190 million, 1 addictive habits show a progressive upward climb. Addiction to substances like betel quid, areca nut, areca palm, betel palm, cigarette smoking and crushed areca/betel nut (gutka) is becoming very common in Pakistan, especially in Karachi. The more frequently abused substance is betel quid, which is the leaf of a vine, the Piper betel. In Pakistan, betel quid (tam baku wala paan) is betel leaf filled with areca nut (a psychoactive agent), tobacco, spices and slaked lime. The leaf is chewed by more than 10% of the people worldwide who are mostly uneducated and belong to the low socioeconomic class. 2

The aim of this study was to determine the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and plasma malondialdehyde levels in aging mice and to evaluate how these measures are modulated by potential antioxidants, including the tocotrienol-rich fraction, Piper betle, and Chlorella vulgaris. METHOD: One hundred and twenty male C57BL/6 inbred mice were divided into three age groups: young (6 months old), middle-aged (12 months old), and old (18 months old). Each age group consisted of two control groups (distilled water and olive oil) and three treatment groups: Piper betle (50 mg/kg body weight), tocotrienol-rich fraction (30 mg/kg), and Chlorella vulgaris (50 mg/kg). The duration of treatment for all three age groups was two months. Blood was withdrawn from the orbital sinus to determine the antioxidant enzyme activity and the malondialdehyde level. RESULTS: Piper betle increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the young, middle, and old age groups, respectively, when compared to control. The tocotrienol-rich fraction decreased the superoxide dismutase activity in the middle and the old age groups but had no effect on catalase or glutathione peroxidase activity for all age groups. Chlorella vulgaris had no effect on superoxide dismutase activity for all age groups but increased glutathione peroxidase and decreased catalase activity in the middle and the young age groups, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris reduced lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels) in all age groups, but no significant changes were observed with the tocotrienol-rich fraction and the Piper betle treatments. CONCLUSION: We found equivocal age-related changes in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity when mice were treated with Piper betle, the tocotrienol-rich fraction, and Chlorella vulgaris. However, Piper betle treatment showed increased antioxidant enzymes activity during aging.

The aim of this study was to determine the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and plasma malondialdehyde levels in aging mice and to evaluate how these measures are modulated by potential antioxidants, including the tocotrienol-rich fraction, Piper betle, and Chlorella vulgaris. METHOD: One hundred and twenty male C57BL/6 inbred mice were divided into three age groups: young (6 months old), middle-aged (12 months old), and old (18 months old). Each age group consisted of two control groups (distilled water and olive oil) and three treatment groups: Piper betle (50 mg/kg body weight), tocotrienol-rich fraction (30 mg/kg), and Chlorella vulgaris (50 mg/kg). The duration of treatment for all three age groups was two months. Blood was withdrawn from the orbital sinus to determine the antioxidant enzyme activity and the malondialdehyde level. RESULTS: Piper betle increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the young, middle, and old age groups, respectively, when compared to control. The tocotrienol-rich fraction decreased the superoxide dismutase activity in the middle and the old age groups but had no effect on catalase or glutathione peroxidase activity for all age groups. Chlorella vulgaris had no effect on superoxide dismutase activity for all age groups but increased glutathione peroxidase and decreased catalase activity in the middle and the young age groups, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris reduced lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels) in all age groups, but no significant changes were observed with the tocotrienol-rich fraction and the Piper betle treatments. CONCLUSION: We found equivocal age-related changes in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity when mice were treated with Piper betle, the tocotrienol-rich fraction, and Chlorella vulgaris. However, Piper betle treatment showed increased antioxidant enzymes activity during aging.

Candida species have been associated with the emergence of strains resistant to selected antifungal agents. Plant products have been used traditionally as alternative medicine to ease mucosal fungal infections. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Piper betle extract on the growth profile and the ultrastructure of commonly isolated oral candidal cells. The major component of P. betle was identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS/MS). Seven ATCC control strains of Candida species were cultured in yeast peptone dextrose broth under four different growth environments: (i) in the absence of P. betle extract; and in the presence of P. betle extract at respective concentrations of (ii) 1 mg?mL 21 ; (iii) 3 mg?mL 21 ; and (iv) 6 mg?mL 21. The growth inhibitory responses of the candidal cells were determined based on changes in the specific growth rates (m). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe any ultrastructural alterations in the candida colonies. LC-MS/MS was performed to validate the presence of bioactive compounds in the extract. Following treatment, it was observed that the m-values of the treated cells were significantly different than those of the untreated cells (P,0.05), indicating the fungistatic properties of the P. betle extract. The candidal population was also reduced from an average of 13.44310 6 to 1.78310 6 viable cell counts (CFU)?mL 21. SEM examination exhibited physical damage and considerable morphological alterations of the treated cells. The compound profile from LC-MS/MS indicated the presence of hydroxybenzoic acid, chavibetol and hydroxychavicol in P. betle extract. The effects of P. betle on candida cells could potentiate its antifungal activity.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the anti-arthritic activity of hydroxychavicol (HC) a major phenolic compound isolated from the aqueous extract leaves of plant Piper betle (Piperaceae). The compound showed significant lowering of pro-inflammatory (Th1) cytokine levels in arthritic paw tissue homogenate supernatant viz. IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α with maximum inhibition at higher dose levels of 2 and 4 mg/kg p.o. and enhanced the production of anti-inflammatory (Th2) cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 estimated by cytometric bead array immunoassay. Cytometric bead array uses the sensitivity of amplified fluorescence detection by flowcytometer to measure soluble analytes in a particle based immune assay. This assay can accurately quantitate five cytokines in a 50-μl sample volume. The T-helper (Th1) deviated cells produce detectable level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), while the Th2 deviated cells produce significant amount of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-5 (IL-5). HC at graded doses also significantly decreased the expression of IL-1β, PGE2, LTB4, and nitric oxide levels showing significant inhibition of these parameters. Elevated levels of CD4+ T cell specific interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in splenocytes of arthritic animals was also inhibited in treated animals. The oral LD0 in both mice and rats was more than 1000 mg/kg.

Objective: It has been reported that the aqueous extracts of Psidium guajava and Piper betle leaves showed anti-plaque activities during the early stages of dental plaque formation. The aim of the study was to elucidate if such anti-plaque activities involve any ultra-structural changes to the morphology of three early dental plaque bacteria, Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus mitis and Actinomyces sp. Methodology: Pure cultures of the bacteria were suspended in BHI medium and treated with the test herbal extracts at the sub-lethal concentrations. The growth mixtures were incubated at 37°C. At the logarithmic growth phase (t 1 ), aliquots of 1 ml of the growth mixtures were fixed and used in the preparation of specimens for SEM studies. Ultra-structural alterations to the morphology of the treated cells noted were compared to those of the cells cultured under untreated conditions. Results: Following exposure of the bacteria to the two test herbal extracts, profound ultra-structural changes to their morphology were observed. The observed structural or morphological alterations could attribute to the bacteria being less active in performing normal physiological metabolic functions and thus rendering them less efficient to multiply. The changes noted included (i) reduced sizes of the bacteria, and (ii) majority cells at the non-dividing state as compared to those cultured under controlled conditions. Conclusions: This study has shown anti-plaque effects of aqueous extract of both P. betle and P. guajava. Fathilah AR, Yusoff M, Rahim ZHA. The Effect of Psidium guajava and Piper betle extracts on the Morphology of Dental Plaque Bacteria. Pak J Med Sci 2009;25(6):928-933.

The study investigates fungal contamination in some dry fruits, spices and areca nut and evaluation of the essential oil (EO) of Piper betle var. magahi for its antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant properties. A total of 1651 fungal isolates belonging to 14 species were isolated from the samples and Aspergillus was recorded as the dominant genus with 6 species. Eleven aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) producing strains of A. flavus were recorded from the samples. Eugenol (63.39%) and acetyleugenol (14.05%) were the major components of 32 constituents identified from the Piper betle EO through GC and GC-MS analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of P. betle EO was found 0.7 μl/ml against A.flavus. The EO reduced AFB 1 production in a dose dependent manner and completely inhibited at 0.6 μl/ml. This is the first report on efficacy of P. betle EO as aflatoxin suppressor. EO also exhibited strong antioxidant potential as its IC 50 value (3.6 μg/ml) was close to that of ascorbic acid (3.2 μg/ml) and lower than that of the synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytouene (BHT) (7.4 μg/ml) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (4.5 μg/ml). P. betle EO thus exhibited special merits possessing antifungal, aflatoxin suppressive and antioxidant characters which are desirable for an ideal preservative. Hence, its application as a plant based food additive in protection and enhancement of shelf life of edible commodities during storage and processing is strongly recommended in view of the toxicological implications by synthetic preservatives.

The study investigates fungal contamination in some dry fruits, spices and areca nut and evaluation of the essential oil (EO) of Piper betle var. magahi for its antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant properties. A total of 1651 fungal isolates belonging to 14 species were isolated from the samples and Aspergillus was recorded as the dominant genus with 6 species. Eleven aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) producing strains of A. flavus were recorded from the samples. Eugenol (63.39%) and acetyleugenol (14.05%) were the major components of 32 constituents identified from the Piper betle EO through GC and GC-MS analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of P. betle EO was found 0.7 μl/ml against A.flavus. The EO reduced AFB 1 production in a dose dependent manner and completely inhibited at 0.6 μl/ml. This is the first report on efficacy of P. betle EO as aflatoxin suppressor. EO also exhibited strong antioxidant potential as its IC 50 value (3.6 μg/ml) was close to that of ascorbic acid (3.2 μg/ml) and lower than that of the synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytouene (BHT) (7.4 μg/ml) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (4.5 μg/ml). P. betle EO thus exhibited special merits possessing antifungal, aflatoxin suppressive and antioxidant characters which are desirable for an ideal preservative. Hence, its application as a plant based food additive in protection and enhancement of shelf life of edible commodities during storage and processing is strongly recommended in view of the toxicological implications by synthetic preservatives.

Modulation of immune functions by using herbal plants and their products has become fundamental regime of therapeutic approach. Piper betle Linn. (Piperaceae) is a widely distributed plant in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world and has been attributed as traditional herbal remedy for many diseases. We have recently reported the antifilarial and antileishmanial efficacy in the leaf extract of Bangla Mahoba landrace of P. betle which is a female plant. The present report describes the in vivo immunomodulatory efficacy of the crude methanolic extract and its n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol fractions of the female plant at various dose levels ranging between 0.3 and 500 mg/kg in BALB/c. Attempts were also made to observe antifilarial activity of the active extracts and correlate it with the antigen specific immune responses in another rodent Mastomys coucha infected with human lymphatic filarial parasite Brugia malayi. The crude methanol extract and n-hexane fraction were found to potentiate significant (p b 0.001) enhancement of both humoral (plaque forming cells, hemagglutination titre) as well as cell-mediated (lymphoproliferation, macrophage activation, delayed type hypersensitivity) immune responses in mice. The flow cytometric analysis of splenocytes of treated mice indicated enhanced population of T-cells (CD4 + , CD8 + ) and B-cells (CD19 + ). The n-hexane fraction (3 mg/kg) was found to induce biased type 2 cytokine response as revealed by increased IL-4 + and decreased IFN-γ + Tcell population while the chloroform fraction (10 mg/kg) produced a predominant type 1 cytokines. Crude methanolic extract (100 mg/kg) demonstrated a mixed type 1 and type 2 cytokine responses thus suggesting a remarkable immunomodulatory property in this plant. The induction of differential T-helper cell immune response appears ideal to overcome immunosuppression as observed in case of lymphatic, filarial Brugia malayi infection which may also be extended to other infections as well.

The Piper betel phenolics, allylpyrocatechol (APC) and chavibetol (CHV), were found to protect photosensitization-mediated lipid peroxidation (LPO) of rat liver mitochondria effectively, APC being significantly more potent. The better activity of APC vis-à -vis CHV could be attributed to its higher reactivity with 1 O 2 , as revealed from the rate constant values of 1 O 2 quenching by the respective phenolics. APC also prevented the detrimental effects of the Type II photosensitization-induced toxicity to mouse fibroblast L929 cells. The results suggest that APC may play an important role in protecting biological systems against damage, by eliminating 1 O 2 generated from certain endogenous photosensitizers.

Modulation of immune functions by using herbal plants and their products has become fundamental regime of therapeutic approach. Piper betle Linn. (Piperaceae) is a widely distributed plant in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world and has been attributed as traditional herbal remedy for many diseases. We have recently reported the antifilarial and antileishmanial efficacy in the leaf extract of Bangla Mahoba landrace of P. betle which is a female plant. The present report describes the in vivo immunomodulatory efficacy of the crude methanolic extract and its n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol fractions of the female plant at various dose levels ranging between 0.3 and 500 mg/kg in BALB/c. Attempts were also made to observe antifilarial activity of the active extracts and correlate it with the antigen specific immune responses in another rodent Mastomys coucha infected with human lymphatic filarial parasite Brugia malayi. The crude methanol extract and n-hexane fraction were found to potentiate significant (p b 0.001) enhancement of both humoral (plaque forming cells, hemagglutination titre) as well as cell-mediated (lymphoproliferation, macrophage activation, delayed type hypersensitivity) immune responses in mice. The flow cytometric analysis of splenocytes of treated mice indicated enhanced population of T-cells (CD4 + , CD8 + ) and B-cells (CD19 + ). The n-hexane fraction (3 mg/kg) was found to induce biased type 2 cytokine response as revealed by increased IL-4 + and decreased IFN-γ + Tcell population while the chloroform fraction (10 mg/kg) produced a predominant type 1 cytokines. Crude methanolic extract (100 mg/kg) demonstrated a mixed type 1 and type 2 cytokine responses thus suggesting a remarkable immunomodulatory property in this plant. The induction of differential T-helper cell immune response appears ideal to overcome immunosuppression as observed in case of lymphatic, filarial Brugia malayi infection which may also be extended to other infections as well.

Background: Human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) undergo a limited number of cellular divisions in culture and progressively reach a state of irreversible growth arrest, a process termed cellular ageing. Even though beneficial effects of Piper betle, Chlorella vulgaris and tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) have been reported, ongoing studies in relation to ageing is of interest to determine possible protective effects that may reverse the effect of ageing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of P. betle, C. vulgaris and TRF in preventing cellular ageing of HDFs by determining the activity of antioxidant enzymes viz.; catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase. Methods: Different passages of HDFs were treated with P. betle, C. vulgaris and TRF for 24 h prior to enzymes activity determination. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA β-gal) expression was assayed to validate cellular ageing. Results: In cellular ageing of HDFs, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were reduced, but SOD activity was heightened during pre-senescence. P. betle exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity by reducing SA β-gal expression, catalase activities in all age groups, and SOD activity. TRF exhibited a strong antioxidant activity by reducing SA β-gal expression, and SOD activity in senescent HDFs. C. vulgaris extract managed to reduce SOD activity in senescent HDFs.

The aqueous extracts of Piper betle and Psidium guajava were prepared and tested for their anti-adherence effect on the adhesion of early plaque settlers (Strep. mitis, Strep. sanguinis and Actinomyces sp.). The saliva-coated glass surfaces were used to simulate the pellicle-coated enamel surface in the oral cavity. Our results showed that the anti-adherence activities of Piper betle and Psidium guajava extracts towards the bacteria were different between the bacterial species. Psidium guajava was shown to have a slightly greater anti-adherence effect on Strep. sanguinis by 5.5% and Actinomyces sp. by 10% and a significantly higher effect on Strep. mitis (70%) compared to Piper betle. The three bacterial species are known to be highly hydrophobic, and that hydrophobic bonding seemed to be an important factor in their adherence activities. It is therefore suggested that the plant extracts, in expressing their anti-adherence activities, could have altered the hydrophobic nature of the bonding between the bacteria and the saliva-coated glass surfaces.

Piper betle is a dioecious pan-Asiatic plant having cultural and medicinal uses. It belongs to the family Piperaceae and is a native of the tropics although it is also cultivated in subtropical areas. Flowering in P. betle occurs only in tropical regions. Due to lack of inductive floral cycles the plant remains in its vegetative state in the subtropics. Therefore, due to lack of flowering, gender distinction cannot be made the in the subtropics. Gender distinction in P. betle in vegetative state can be made using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectroscopy (DARTMS), a robust highthroughput method. DARTMS analysis of leaf samples of two male and six female plants showed characteristic differences in the spectra between male and female plants. Semi-quantitative differences in some of the identified peaks in male and female landraces showed gender-based differences in metabolites. Cluster analysis using the peaks at m/z 151, 193, 235 and 252 showed two distinct clusters of male and female landraces. It appears that male and female plants besides having flowers of different sexes also have characteristic differences in the metabolites representing two metabolic types.

This study evaluated the anti-giardial activity of chloroform, methanol and water extracts of 12 medicinal plants (39 extracts), commonly used as self medication by AIDS patients in southern Thailand. The plant extracts and a standard drug, metronidazole, were incubated with 2•10 5 trophozoites of Giardia intestinalis per millilitre of growth medium in 96-well tissue culture plates under anaerobic conditions for 24 h. The cultures were examined with an inverted microscope and the minimum inhibitory concentration and the IC 50 value for each extract was determined. The chloroform extracts from Alpinia galanga, Boesenbergia pandurata, Eclipta prostrata, Piper betle, Piper chaba, Zingiber zerumbet, and the methanol extracts from B. pandurata and E. prostrata were classified as ''active'', i.e. with an IC 50 of <100 lg/ml, whereas the chloroform extract from Murraya paniculata was classified as being ''moderately active''. This study shows that extracts from some medicinal plants have potential for use as therapeutic agents against G. intestinalis infections.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the methanolic extracts from several plant leaves widely used in traditional medicine to cure digestive tract disorders and in the self-medication of wild animals such as non-human primates, namely Archidendron fagifolium, Diospyros sumatrana, Shorea sumatrana, and Piper betle leaves, with regard to their antimicrosporidial activity against Encephalitozoon cuniculi in immunocompetent BALB/c mice determined using molecular detection of microsporidial DNA (qPCR) in various tissues and body fluids of infected, treated mice. Of the plant extracts tested, Diospyros sumatrana provided the most promising results, reducing spore shedding by 88% compared to untreated controls. Moreover, total burden per 1 g of tissue in the D. sumatrana extract-treated group reached 87% reduction compared to untreated controls, which was comparable to the effect of the standard drug, Albendazole. This data represents the baseline necessary for further research focu...

Vibrio cholerae is the causal organism of the cholera epidemic, which is mostly prevalent in developing and underdeveloped countries. However, incidences of cholera in developed countries are also alarming. Because of the emergence of new drug-resistant strains, even though several generic drugs and vaccines have been developed over time, Vibrio infections remain a global health problem that appeals for the development of novel drugs and vaccines against the pathogen.