Abstract
The volatile components of areca nuts were isolated by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME, DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber extraction) and simultaneous hydrodistillation–extraction (SHDE) and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Furthermore, all SHDE fractions were tested for antimicrobial activity using the disk diffusion method on nine Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus canis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Candida albicans). In total, 98 compounds (mainly alcohols, carbonyl compounds, fatty acids, esters, terpenes, terpenoids, and aliphatic hydrocarbons) were identified in SHDE fractions and by using SPME extraction Fatty acids were the main group of volatile constituents detected in all types of extracts. The microorganism most sensitive to the extract of the areca nut was Streptococcus canis. The results can provide essential information for the application of different treatments of areca nuts in the canning industry or as natural antibiotics.
Highlights
Areca catechu is a medium-sized palm tree and is part of the Arecaceae family, which contains more than 200 genera and about 2600 species
To investigate the conditions of SPME extraction of volatile compounds, the main effects of extraction temperature and extraction time and their interactions were studied by using a central composite design (CCD) based on the response surface methodology (RSM), including four replicates at the central point
250 mg of crushed areca nuts was placed in a 20 mL headspace vial sealed with a screw cap equipped with a Teflon septum
Summary
Areca catechu is a medium-sized palm tree and is part of the Arecaceae family, which contains more than 200 genera and about 2600 species. The betel nut (or areca nut) is a seed of the fruit of the palm tree Areca catechu. Up to 10–20% of the world’s population (up to 600 million people) chews betel quid, making it the fourth most used drug, after alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. Humans use this drug primarily for stimulating effects that are comparable to the use of nicotine [4,5]. The chewing of areca nuts causes many effects on the autonomic nervous system, such as euphoria, increased alertness, focused attention, sweating, stimulation of excitement, elation, and anxiolysis [6]
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