Abstract
Piper betle L. (Paan) is used as a chewing material in many Asian and Oceanic countries. Piper betle extracts and its derivatives possess a number of important pharmacological activities, however, the toxicological reports on this plant is insufficient. This paper aims to discuss the protective and toxicogenetic effects of P. betle and its derived compounds on the basis of scientific reports found in the PubMed database. An up-to-date (Feb 2018) search made in the PubMed for scientific evidence suggests that P. betle and its derivatives have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, lipid-lowering, immuno-stimulatory, and organo-protective effects in various test systems. Safrole, hydroxy-chavicol, gamma-tocotrienol, hydroquinone, piperoleine A & B, allylpyrocatechol, and chavibetol are the important biologically active isolated components of various parts of P. betle. Safrole and hydroxy-chavicol are evident to exert both beneficial and toxic effects on the test systems. However, the toxicogenetic effects of the crude extracts of this herb and its compounds are dependent on the concentration/dose used. Of note, understanding toxicological impacts is crucial for any human consuming material. Piper betle is an important medicinal herb, however, more researches are necessary to claim its toxicogenetic effects.
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