Betelvine (Piper betle L.): A comprehensive insight into its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological, biomedical and therapeutic attributes

Abstract

Piper betle L. (synonym: Piper betel Blanco), or betel vine, an economically and medicinally important cash crop, belongs to the family Piperaceae, often known as the green gold. The plant can be found all over the world and is cultivatedprimarily in South East Asian countries for its beautiful glossy heart‐shaped leaves, which are chewed or consumed as betelquidand widely used in Chinese and Indian folk medicine, as carminative, stimulant,astringent, against parasitic worms, conjunctivitis, rheumatism, wound, etc., andis also used for religious purposes. Hydroxychavicol is the most important bioactive compound among the wide range of phytoconstituents found in essential oil and extracts. The pharmacological attributes of P . betle are antiproliferation, anticancer, neuropharmacological, analgesic, antioxidant, antiulcerogenic, hepatoprotective, antifertility, antibacterial, antifungal and many more. Immense attention has been paid to nanoformulations and their applications. The application of P . betle did not show cytotoxicity in preclinical experiments, suggesting that it could serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for different diseases. The present review comprehensively summarizes the botanical description, geographical distribution, economic value and cultivation, ethnobotanical uses, preclinical pharmacological properties with insights of toxicological, clinical efficacy, and safety of P . betle . The findings suggest that P . betle represents an orally active and safe natural agent that exhibits great therapeutic potential for managing various human medical conditions. However, further research is needed to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms of action, clinical aspects, structure–activity relationships, bioavailability and synergistic interactions with other drugs.

A Review of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity Properties of Piper Species

“…Piper betle L., green Betel, is cultivated in Indonesia, East Africa, the Philippines, Malaysia, and India [ 37 , 38 ]. About a hundred varieties of this Betel plant are found worldwide—forty grow in Indonesia and thirty grow in Bangladesh [ 39 ]. This plant thrives in areas with an altitude of up to 900 m 2 and is found in areas with high rainfall and hot and humid climates [ 40 , 41 ].…”

“…This plant is an evergreen and perennial plant that has a strong stem at the nodes, heart-shaped leaves that alternate and are 15–20 cm in length, and white catkin, with many small roots [ 42 , 43 , 44 ]. The roots can climb with the tip of the shoot and can reach 3–10 m; when young, the stems are light green and marked by short lines; however, when mature, they are sturdy, slightly flat, and the internodes are 12 cm long and 1.2 cm in diameter [ 39 ].…”

Nutraceuticals of nano-betel (Piper betle L.) leaves: prevent COVID-19 and oral cavity disease

“…Betel leaf is a good source of natural antioxidants for the pharmaceutical industry, which will achieve the desired therapeutic results and can be of great potential as a source of health care to fight various pathogens. 16,20 Inhibiting the growth of germs and harming numerous gram-positive and punnet bacteria, as well as fungus species, is possible with betel leaf extract and its essential oil. According to some studies, combining piper leaves essential oil with antibiotics may have an impact on the oral bacteria.…”

Polyphenols and Flavonoids Composition, Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Andean Baccharis macrantha Extracts

“…Many medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine systems, such as the Indian Ayurvedic medicine system, traditional Chinese medicine, and the West Indian and Latin American folk medicine system. A large part of the population in developing countries continues to use ancestral medicines based on medicinal plant extracts [1][2][3][4][5].…”