Piper betle Linn.

Family Piperaceae.

Habitat Cultivated in warmer and damper parts of India; Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala.

English Betel pepper.

Ayurvedic Taambula, Naagvallari, Naagini, Taambulvalli, Saptashiraa, Bhujangalataa.

Unani Paan, Tambool.

Siddha/Tamil Vetrilai Nagavalli, Kammaaruvetritai.

Action Leaf—stimulant, carminative, astringent, antiseptic. Essential oil from leaves—antispasmodic, antiseptic. Used in respiratory catarrhs. Fruit—bechic.

The leaves afforded beta- and gamma- sitosterol, hentriacontane, pentatriacontane, n -triacontanol, stearic acid and chavicol. The essential oil from leaves contained carvacrol, eugenol, chavicol, allyl catechol, cineole, estragol, caryophyllene, cardinene, pcymene and eugenol methyl ether. Administration of the leafextract resulted in decreased tumour burden and tumour incidence and a delay in the onset of mammary tumour in Wistar rats.

The alcoholic extract of the leaf staLk is reported to show antispermatogenic and antiandrogenic effect in male albino rats.

The essential oil exhibited hypotensive, cardiac as well as respiratory depressant and cardiotonic properties.

The leaf showed antifungal and antibacterial activity. The antiseptic activity is attributed to chavicol.

Dosage Leaf—1O—15 ml juice.