Latin Name: Areca catechu
English Name: Areca nut, Betel nut, Pinag
Ayurvedic Name: Supari, Puga
Family: Palmae
Habitat: Cultivated through out tropical India
Parts used: Seed
Action and uses: Dentifries, intoxicant, stimulant, Vermifuge, use to treat Cholera, Colic, colitis, diarrhea, dysentery, fatigue, fever, Gastrosis, Gonorrhea, hemituria, Herpes, Hysteria, Malaria, Odontosis, Opthalmia, Rhagades, Rhinosis, scabes, small pox, Stomach ache, tapeworm. Fresh nut is somewhat intoxicating and produces Giddines in some persons. But dried nut is stimulant astringent and taenifuge. It increases the flow of Saliva, lessons perspiration, sweetens the breath. Strength the gum and produces mild Exhilaration. The seed has an aromatic, astringent and somewhat acrid in taste. On account of the readiness with which Arecoline is absorbed, it is not recommended to be used as a taeniacide in pure conditions and therefore the powder nut is preferred. useful in stopping watery discharges from the Vagina, also useful in pyrosis of pregnancy, nervine tonic and emmenagogue, mildly astringent.
Catechu is widely used as a component of the betel leaf chewed in India.
REFERENCES:
1.Trease G.E. and W.C. Evans: Pharmacognosy, Balliere Tindall. East bourne,(1983).
2. Chakravarthy,B.K. et al. :Ind. Drugs, July,397, (1983).
3. Sham,J.S.K. et al. :Planta Med.,50:177, (1983).
4. Aryabhishak (Ed) S. P. Pade, Sastu Sahitya Vardhak Karyalaya , Ahmedabad,(1932).
"These Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."
