Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Synonyms —
Areca faufel
Gaertn.,
Areca himalayana
Griff. ex H. Wendl.
,
Areca hortensis
Lour.,
Areca nigra
Giseke ex H. Wendl.
Family —
Arecaceae
Common Names —
Betel nuts,
Arecae semen
, Arekasame, noix d'arec
Description —
Areca
fruit is ovoid, bright orange in color when fully ripe, and about 3 to 5
cm in diameter and 6 to 8 cm long. The nut consists of a hard kernel, grayish brown in color with a
network of paler depressed lines and a deep testa showing fawn marbling. It is slightly acidic in taste
and astringent, and the odor is faint. The plant itself grows as an erect, rather graceful palm with a
slender, tall stem crowned by a tuft of the large ornately ordered leaves.
Habitat and Distribution —
The plant is pantropic and prefers dry deciduous forestland. It is
indigenous to East and North Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India. It is
cultivated in many tropical countries for its valuable nuts. It grows in the savanna belt and in decidu-
ous forests and secondary clearings. It is a major crop in North Africa and parts of South Africa.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
It is used as a masticatory agent and tonic in most parts of Africa.
Areca chewing custom appears to be almost universal among traditional societies, such as in Papua
New Guinea, Melanesia, and many Asian countries. It is an effective anthelmintic, laxative, and
astringent. Although there is a decline in the use of the nut in human medicine, there has been a
renewed interest in the drug due to the beneficial effects of arecoline in the treatment of AD.
201
In India, the nut is dispensed for infections, urinary diseases, vaginal disorders, and heartburn in
preg na ncy.
166
Constituents —
The principal compound in
Areca
nuts is the alkaloid arecoline, accounting for
0.5% of the plant material. Other constituents include guvacoline, arecaine, arecaidine, guvacine,
and several other amino acids, as well as phlobaphene tannins, fixed oils, and procyanidins (PACs).
Pharmacological Studies —
Areca
is a taeniacide, and it is employed often in veterinary medi-
cine, where it is used for the eradication of roundworms and the tapeworms. Chewing the nuts as a
masticatory is said to act as a tonic; it refreshes the breath and removes unpleasant tastes, strength-
ens the gum, and checks perspiration.
166
Areca
chewing promotes the flow of saliva, and this habit
has been associated with the increased incidence of some types of oral leukoplakia and cancer. The
quids are often composed of areca, lime, and occasionally tobacco leaf or “snuff.” The carcinogenic
principle in
Areca
is probably the alkaloid arecaidine.
202
Two of the components of
Areca
, guvacine
and arecaidine, have been found to possess competitive inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid
in vitro
.
203
Areca
nuts possess CNS activity, and the use of these nuts can be addictive; the development of severe
pyramidal symptoms has been reported in two chronic schizophrenics after chewing betel nuts.
204
Arecoline, methyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-1-methylnicotinate, is the major anthelmintic alkaloid iso-
lated from betel nuts. It has parasympathomimetic activity and has been employed sometimes as a
substitute for pilocarpine. It is a strong taeniafuge, but lacks pronounced taeniacidal activity, and
has been commonly used in veterinary medicine as a purgative and taeniafuge. It has been used
extensively in many countries to control infestation of
Echinococcosis granulosum
in dogs.
ARTEMISIA AFRA
Botanical Name —
Artemisia afra
Jacq. ex Wild.
Synonyms —
Absinthium ponticum
(L.) Garsault.,
Absinthium tenuifolium
Gaterau.,
Artemisia
altaica
Desf.,
Artimisia balsamita
Willd.,
Artemisia grandiflora
Fisch. ex Herder.,
Artemisia pallida
Salisb.,
Artemisia pontica
Burm.f.,
Artemisia pseudopontica
Schur.,
Artemisia tenuifolia
Moench.
Family —
Compositae
Common Names —
Als, wild-als, wild wormwood, African wormwood
African Names —
Kisambaa: fivi; Kinyakyusa: lusanje; Kisafwa: luyanga; Swati: umhlonyane;
Tsawana: lengana, iliongana; Xhosa: umhlonyane; Zulu: umhlonyane
