The areca nut, fruit of the oriental palm (Areca catechu), also called 'betel' nut in English, supari in Hindi, adike or betta in Kannada, adakka in Malayalam, and pakku in Tamil, is commonly used in India (FRLHT.org, 2015) and needs no introduction. It is used in traditional quids (beeda) wrapped in betel leaves (Piper betle) or as tobacco and areca nut mixtures. Areca nut is also used per se ...

UNLABELLED Areca nut chewing is one of the most prevalent substance abuse habits in the world, and it is associated with the risk of a variety of medical challenges including hypertension, arrhythmia, and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is an extremely rare complication of areca nut chewing. Herein we report two cases where patients suffered fr...

BACKGROUND Oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is often preceded by potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) like oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). The rate of transformation of OSMF to OSCC ranges from 3 to 19%. OSMF is etiologically related to chewing of areca nut (betel nut), a habit prevalent among the population groups in south-east Asia. Along with alkaloids, the high copper content in areca ...

Numerous reports illustrate the diverse effects of chewing the areca nut, most of which are harmful and have been shown to be associated with oral cancer. Nearly all of the studies are focused on the extract and/or low molecular weight ingredients in the areca nut. The purpose of this report is to identify the major protein component in the areca nut. After ammonium sulfate fractionation, the c...

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), one of the most deadliest malignancies in the world, is caused primarily by areca nut chewing in Southeast Asia. The mechanisms by which areca nut participates in OSCC tumorigenesis are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of low dose long-term arecoline (10 μg/mL, 90-days), a major areca nut alkaloid, on enhancement cancer stemnes...

Aim and Objectives. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a potentially malignant disorder associated with the usage of areca nut. Usage of processed forms of areca nut is popular among the youth and its carcinogenic effects are not well known. Due to large immigrant population, various patterns of areca nut usage are seen. The aim of this study is to assess the various quid chewing patterns and the...

Herbal medicines are respected for its medicinal values through generations. Areca catechu is commonly called as betel nut belonging to the family Arecaceae. Phytochemicals are the non-nutritive substances that protect the plant and human beings from diseases when consumed. In the present investigation, the aqueous extract of Areca catechu nut was analysed for the varieties of phytochemicals an...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE A higher prevalence of periodontal disease among areca nut chewers than non chewers has been demonstrated. Neutrophils, the first line of defence mechanism against microbial infection play an important role in maintaining the periodontal health. In this context our aim was to evaluate the effects of areca nut extracts on phagocytic activity by neutrophils isolated from gi...

Because betel quid chewing has been linked to the development of oral cancer, pathobiological effects of an aqueous areca nut extract, four areca nut alkaloids (arecoline, guvacoline, guvacine, and arecaidine), and four nitrosated derivatives [N-nitrosoguvacoline, N-nitrosoguvacine, 3-(N-nitrosomethylamino)propionaldehyde and 3-(N-nitrosomethylamino)propionitrile] have been investigated using c...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of its use by high-school children in Saipan in Micronesia. Usage of the areca nut is indigenous to south Asia and the western and south Pacific. Some serious health effects of areca nut chewing are recognized and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has recently classified regular use of areca nut as being carcinogenic to humans. Information o...