ARECA NUTS

Synonyms
Betal nuts; Pinang; Semina Areacae, Supari (Hindi).
Biological Source
Areca nuts are the seeds of Areca catechu Linn., belonging to family Palmaceae.
Geographical Source
The tree is cultivated in tropical India, Sri Lanka, Malay States, South China, East Indies,
Philippine Islands and parts of East Africa (including Zanzibar and Tanzania). In India it
is cultivated in the coastal regions of southern Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Bengal and Assam.
Cultivation and Collection
Areca palm is mostly propagated by seeds. The palm requires a moist tropical climate for
luxuriant growth; it is very sensitive to drought. It grows in areas with heavy rainfall in
between temperature of 15–38°C. It is cultivated in plains, hill slopes and low lying
valleys. The seeds are collected from 25–50 years old trees.

Areca nut is a handsome palm with a tall, slender stem crowned by large elegant leaves.
Each tree contains about 100 fruits per year which are detached by means of bamboo
poles and the seeds extracted. The pericarp is fibrous and surrounds a single seed which
is easily separated. The seeds are usually boiled in water with the addition of a little lime
and dried.
Characteristics

Areca nuts are about 2.5 cm in length, bluntly rounded, conical in shape and 2–3 cm wide
at the base. The testa is brown and marked with a network of small depressed lines. The
ruminate endosperm is opal-white. Patches of a silvery coat, the inner layer of the
pericarp, occasionally adhere to the testa. The deep-brown testa is marked with a network
of depressed fissures; the colour of the testa is due to the presence of tannin. In the centre
basal part of the endosperm, the small embryo is situated and an external pale area
indicated its position. The seed is very hard, has a faint cheese-like odour when broken
and an astringent, acrid taste.
Chemical Constituents
Areca nut contains a number of alkaloids of a piperidine series, such as arecoline (methyl
ester of arecanine), arecaine (N-methyl guvacine), guvacine (tetrahydronicitinic acid),
arecaidine, guvacoline, arecolidine, leucocyanidine, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin,
procyanidins A-l, B-l and B-2; phthalic, lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids, β-
sitosterol and choline. Arecoline is present in about 0.1–0.5% yield and is medicinally
important. In addition to alkaloids, areca nuts contain
fat (14%) and amorphous red tannin (15%) known as
areca red of phlobaphene nature. The fat consists mainly
of the glycerides of lauric, myristic and oleic acids.

Uses
Powdered Areca is used as anthelmintic, taenifuge and vermifuge for dogs. It has
aphrodisiac action and useful in urinary disorders, as nervine tonic and emmenagogue.
The chewing of Areca nut may cause mouth cancer.