Areca catechu
Areca palm
Areca catechu, commonly known as the betel nut palm, is a significant tropical plant valued for its seeds. Traditionally used in many cultures as a mild stimulant, it holds a prominent place in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine. This species is widely cultivated for its diverse pharmacological and socio-economic applications.
- Scientific name: Areca catechu
- Family: Arecaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, Areca catechu, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Arecales and the family Arecaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement within the genus Areca.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Arecales | WCVP |
| Family | Arecaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Areca | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Areca catechu, is known by various names across different linguistic groups, including the name Pin-nn̂g in nan. In Chinese, its common names vary slightly by script and region, being referred to as 槟榔 in zh-hans, 檳榔 in zh-hant, 檳榔 in zh-hk, and 槟榔 in zh-cn.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| nan | Pin-nn̂g | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 槟榔 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 檳榔 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 檳榔 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 槟榔 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 槟榔 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 檳榔 | Wikidata |
| jv | Jambé | Wikidata |
| pam | Luyus | Wikidata |
| pl | Areka katechu | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several distinct tropical and subtropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted specifically in Guinea. Moving toward the Western Indian Ocean, it can be found growing in the Comoros. The species also occupies significant portions of East Asia, including Taiwan and the Hainan province of China. Furthermore, its range extends into the South-Central regions of mainland China.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | India | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Maldives | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Areca catechu, is primarily valued for its specific reproductive structures. The most significant medicinal and cultural component is the nut, which is actually the hard, stony endosperm found within the seeds. Each individual seed contains a highly concentrated amount of alkaloids, which are derived from the development of the seed embryos during the maturation process. These seeds are contained within the fleshy fruits, which are typically oval-shaped and serve as the protective vessel for the valuable internal components used in traditional medicine.- Total parts
- 17
- Scientific sources
- 23
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| nut | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| seeds | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed embryos | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fruit (AF) | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flowers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dried ripe seeds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dried pericarp | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dried male flower buds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Areca catechu has 104 reported phytochemicals identified across 176 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include arecoline, arecaidine, guvacine, Arecoline, N-nitrosoguvacoline.
- Total chemicals
- 104
- Scientific sources
- 176
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| arecoline | 23 | ★★★★★ |
| arecaidine | 9 | ★★★★☆ |
| guvacine | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Arecoline | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| N-nitrosoguvacoline | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| nitrosamines | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| (+)-catechin | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| guvacoline | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| polyphenols | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
Activities
Areca catechu has 17 reported activities identified across 31 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic, Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, Antibacterial, Anticancer.
- Total activities
- 17
- Scientific sources
- 31
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cytotoxic | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Carcinogenic | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Mutagenic | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Genotoxic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Abortifacient | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Areca catechu has 70 reported medicinal uses identified across 96 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include oral cancer, oral submucous fibrosis, leukoplakia, antioxidant, asthma.
- Total uses
- 70
- Scientific sources
- 96
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| oral cancer | 14 | ★★★★★ |
| oral submucous fibrosis | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| leukoplakia | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bronchoconstriction | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| depression | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| glucose intolerance | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oral squamous cell carcinoma | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tumors | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |