Areca

Latin Name: Areca Catechu

1. Name: Areca Nut

2. Cultural significance/History:  Areca nuts are traditionally used in religious rituals and social ceremonies. Hindu weddings, for instance, symbolize long-lasting marriage and are often exchanged during the practices. Similarly, in many Asian cultures, offering Areca nuts to guests is a sign of respect and hospitality. Used in China to kill parasites and aid in digestion

3. Active ingredient: Arecoline arecaidine, guvacoline and guvacine

4. Where is it found naturally: Widely found in South and Southeast Asia, Philippines, malaysia india 

5. Use/Indication: purpose of dispersing accumulated fluid in the abdominal cavity and killing worms

6. Contradiction/ Drug-Drug interactions: anti-parasitic effects of the WEAN against tapeworms can be enhanced by combining it with the semen of Cucurbitae Moschatae

   Pharmacokinetics:

   Primary metabolism occurs in the liver (Hepatic metabolism) via CYP450 enzymes.

   Excretion: Renal (urine), half-life 1–2 hours

   Enhancers: Alkaline pH, CYP inducers (rifampin), empty stomach

   Inhibitors: Liver disease, CYP inhibitors (ketoconazole, grapefruit juice)

Side effects:

Alkaloids of Areca Nut have addictive and carcinogenic effects

Nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and dizziness (Liu et al., 2013).

The toxicological effects of AN include oral diseases, liver diseases, behavior and addiction, cardiac diseases, gastric and intestinal diseases, genotoxicity, reproduction and development, kidney disease, neuron and abortifacient

How its administered : Chewing with betel leaf - Oral ingestion – The nut is sometimes ground into a fine powder and mixed into traditional medicines or herbal formulations.

Mechanism of Action:

• Gastric & Intestinal Diseases – Exhibits anticancer effects against gastric cancer cells and may help in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) via muscarinic receptor activation.

• Depression & Anxiety – Contains metabolites that target depression-related genes and increase serotonin and norepinephrine levels, suggesting potential anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.

• Liver Diseases – Shows anticancer properties by inducing apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and reducing tumor growth.

• Neurological Disorders – Enhances dopaminergic neuron activity, potentially useful for AN cessation therapy and age-related mobility decline. Also improves cognition and memory in conditions like Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.

• Bacterial Infections – Exhibits antibacterial effects against S. aureus, E. coli, M. tuberculosis, and Candida albicans, with immunomodulatory potential.

• Anthelmintic Activity – Demonstrates anti-parasitic effects against Ascaridia galli (chicken parasite) and Fasciola spp. (liver fluke in buffaloes).

• Antioxidant Properties – Exhibits free radical scavenging activity, making it useful in food and pharmaceutical applications.

• Anti-Hypoxia – Reduces oxidative stress from hypoxia, improving blood gas index, suggesting potential anti-hypoxia drug applications.

• Anti-Osteoarthritis – Reduces inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis by decreasing NO, iNOS, and COX-2 levels.

Sample #6/43