TY - JOUR
T1 - Piper betel Linn (betel vine), the maligned southeast asian medicinal plant possesses cancer preventive effects
T2 - Time to reconsider the wronged opinion
AU - Rai, Manoj P.
AU - Thilakchand, Karadka Ramdas
AU - Palatty, Princy L.
AU - Rao, Prathima
AU - Rao, Suresh
AU - Bhat, Harshith P.
AU - Baliga, Manjeshwar Shrinath
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Since antiquity, Piper betel Linn (betel vine; family Piperaceae) has been an important medicinal agent in the various traditional and folk systems of medicine in Southeast Asia countries. The leaves are the most valued plant part and in the past were routinely used as a chewing agent to prevent halitosis. The leaves are also supposed to harden the gum, conserve the teeth and to prevent indigestion, bronchitis, constipation, congestion, coughs and asthma. Innumerable scientific studies have validated the ethnomedicinal claims. Betel leaves are an integral component of the betel quid that consists of areca nut (Areca catechu Linn.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and slaked lime; a highly abused agent with carcinogenic properties. Regular chewing of betel quid is associated mainly with oral cancer and detail studies with individual constituents of the quid have shown that both tobacco and areca nut are carcinogenic, while slaked lime is shown to promote the process of carcinogenesis. However unlike other constituents of the betel quid, the betel leaves devoid carcinogenic effects and on the contrary possesses cancer preventive effects including against the carcinogens present in tobacco. This review for the first time provides information on cancer preventive effects and also addresses the various mechanisms which might be involved.
AB - Since antiquity, Piper betel Linn (betel vine; family Piperaceae) has been an important medicinal agent in the various traditional and folk systems of medicine in Southeast Asia countries. The leaves are the most valued plant part and in the past were routinely used as a chewing agent to prevent halitosis. The leaves are also supposed to harden the gum, conserve the teeth and to prevent indigestion, bronchitis, constipation, congestion, coughs and asthma. Innumerable scientific studies have validated the ethnomedicinal claims. Betel leaves are an integral component of the betel quid that consists of areca nut (Areca catechu Linn.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and slaked lime; a highly abused agent with carcinogenic properties. Regular chewing of betel quid is associated mainly with oral cancer and detail studies with individual constituents of the quid have shown that both tobacco and areca nut are carcinogenic, while slaked lime is shown to promote the process of carcinogenesis. However unlike other constituents of the betel quid, the betel leaves devoid carcinogenic effects and on the contrary possesses cancer preventive effects including against the carcinogens present in tobacco. This review for the first time provides information on cancer preventive effects and also addresses the various mechanisms which might be involved.
KW - Betel leaf
KW - Betel quid
KW - Chemoprevention
KW - Piper betel
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84865532225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84865532225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Short survey
C2 - 22296348
AN - SCOPUS:84865532225
SN - 1513-7368
VL - 12
SP - 2149
EP - 2156
JO - Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
JF - Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
IS - 9
ER -