Piper betel - Not Just a Mouth Freshener But Also a Miraculous Herb for Healing: A Review

Abstract

Piper betle L., often known as betel vine, is a member of the Piperaceae family and is a significant cash crop for both economic and therapeutic purposes. The betle vine is most likely from Malaysia, while it is also grown in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal. It is grown in the districts of Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha, and Ganjam along Odisha's coast. With tremendous potential for creating jobs and improving the socioeconomic situations of rural people in India and other Asian nations, betel vine has enormous economic, medical, and nutraceutical value. However, there are still a number of significant elements of these plants that have not received enough consideration. Over a million people in Odisha use paan, yet most are not aware of its superior nutritional value. The most common chewing combinations for Piper betel include sliced areca nut, slaked lime, coriander, aniseed, clove, cardamom, sweetener, and coconut scrapings. Along with its traditional uses, Piper betel's therapeutic characteristics have the power to treat a variety of illnesses and lessen mouth cancer, which is actually brought on by sliced areca nuts and slaked lime rather than betel leaves. Betel leaves are a great source of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, protein, lipids, fibre, calcium, iron, and many other nutrients. Many research studies on Piper betle have reported that it contains important chemical constituents such as chavibetol, chavibetol acetate, caryophyllene, allylpyrocatechol diacetate, campene, chavibetol methyl ether, eugenol, a-Pinene, f-Pinene, u-Limonene, saprobe, 1-8-cineol, allylpyrocatechol monoacetate etc. Betel leaf is one of nature's best medicines and is thought to be superior to medications. Additionally, the leaves retain an essential oil (EO) with a high eugenol content (1-3%), which is a popular ingredient in medicines, stimulants, antiseptics, tonics, and other ayurvedic formulations. The demand for its goods, such as herbal medications, treatments, and natural herbal formulations, has grown recently. Additionally, Piper betel aids in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses, including rheumatism, diabetes, hypertension, halitosis, boils and abscesses, obesity, voice issues, conjunctivitis, constipation, headache, itches, mastitis, mastoiditis, leucorrhoea, otorrhoea, ringworm, gum swelling, and many others. The botanical description, geographic distribution, economic worth, cultivation, and ethnobotanical use of P. betle are all succinctly summarised in the current paper. According to the research, P. betle is a naturally occurring, safe, and orally active drug with significant therapeutic potential for treating a range of human medical disorders. To better understand its underlying molecular mechanisms of action, clinical features, structure-activity connections, bioavailability, and synergistic interactions with other medications, more research is still required.