The Betel (Piper betle) is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepper and Kava. It is valued both as a mild stimulant and for its medicinal properties.
The betel plant is an evergreen and perennial creeper, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkin. The betel plant originated from South and South East Asia (India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka)
Vernacular names
The betel leaf is known as Paan in Assamese/Urdu/Hindi/Odia/Bengali, and Tambula and Nagavalli in Sanskrit. Some of the names in the regions in which it is consumed are: Vetrilai (Tamil),Tamalapaku (Telugu), Vidyache pan (Marathi), veeleyada yele (Kannada), Vettila (Malayalam), Plū (Mon), Malus (Tetum), Maluu (Khmer), Maak (Thai: หมากสง), Bulath (Sinhalese), Malu (Tokodede), Bileiy (Divehi), bulung samat (Kapampangan), daun sirih (Malay/Indonesia), Papulu (Chamorro), Ikmo (Philippines) and Trầu (Vietnamese).
Cultivation
The betel leaf is cultivated in most of South and Southeast Asia. Since it is a creeper, it needs a compatible tree or a long pole for support. Betel requires high land and especially fertile soil. Waterlogged, saline and alkali soils are unsuitable for its cultivation.
In Bangladesh, farmers called barui prepare a garden called a barouj in which to grow betel. The barouj is fenced with bamboo sticks and coconut leaves. The soil is plowed into furrows of 10 to 15 meters' length, 75 centimeters in width and 75 centimeters' depth. Oil cakes, manure, and leaves are thoroughly incorporated with the topsoil of the furrows and wood ash. The creeper cuttings are planted after proper dressing in the months of May and June, at the beginning of the monsoon season. The plants are neatly arranged in parallel rows about two feet apart, and the saplings are twined around upright sticks of split bamboo and reeds.
Proper shade and irrigation are essential for the successful cultivation of this crop. The plants are regularly watered in the hot months. The leaves of the plant become ready for plucking after one year of growth and the production of the barouj lasts for several years from the date of planting. Betel needs constantly moist soil, but there should not be excessive moisture. Irrigation is frequent and light, and standing water should not remain for more than half an hour.
Dried leaves and wood ash are applied to the furrows at fortnightly intervals and cow dung slurry is sprinkled. Application of different kinds of leaves at monthly intervals is believed advantageous for the growth of the betel.
In 3 to 6 months the vines reach 150 to 180 centimeters in height and they will branch. Harvest begins, with the farmer plucking the leaf and its petiole with his right thumb. The harvest lasts 15 days to one month.
The harvested leaves are used both for domestic consumption and for export to other parts of Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Betel is an important part of the economy in rural Bangladesh.
Varieties include 'Magadhi' from Bihar in India, and 'Venmony Vettila' from Kerala.
Compounds
The active ingredients of betel oil, which is obtained from the leaves, are primarily a class of allylbenzene. Though particular emphasis has been placed on chavibetol (betel-phenol; 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyallylbenzene), it also contains chavicol (p-allyl-phenol; 4-allyl-phenol), estragole (p-allyl-anisole; 4-methoxy-allylbenzene), eugenol (allylguaiacol; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-allylbenzene; 2-methoxy-4-allyl-phenol), methyl eugenol (eugenol methyl ether; 3,4-dimethoxy-allylbenzene), and hydroxycatechol (2,4-dihydroxy-allylbenzene).
Several terpenes and terpenoids are present in the betel oil as well. There are two monoterpenes, p-cymene and terpinene, and two monoterpenoids, eucalyptol and carvacrol. Additionally, there are two sesquiterpenes, cadinene and caryophyllene.
The characteristics of stem, leaf and flower / fruit
These vines can reach a height of 15 m. Betel stem greenish brown, round, segmented and is the root of the discharge. Single leaves are heart-shaped, pointed, growing alternately, stemmed, and the savory odor when crushed. Length about 5-8 cm and width 2-5 cm. Its flower-shaped bead of compound and there is a protective leaf ± 1 mm elliptical. In the male grain length of about 1.5 - 3 cm and contained two short stamens being on female grain length of about 1.5 - 6 cm where there is the stigma of three to five pieces of white and yellowish green. The fruit is round-shaped fruit buni grayish green. Roots riding, round and golden brown.
Medicinal properties
In India, betel is used to cure worms. According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine, chewing areca nut and betel leaf is a remedy for bad breath. They are also said to have aphrodisiac properties.
In Malaysia they are used to treat headaches, arthritis and joint pain. In the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and China they are used to relieve toothache. In the Philippines, they are used specifically as a stimulant and was believed to strengthen the teeth and gums. In Indonesia they are drunk as an infusion and used as an antibiotic. They are also used in an infusion to cure indigestion, as a topical cure for constipation, as a decongestant and as an aid to lactation. In Indonesia, betel is also used to cure nosebleeds. Many Indonesian women use the leaves in bath water after giving birth to shrink vaginal canal. It also counters unpleasant smells. The Indonesian government has endorsed betel leaves (daun sirih) as a natural medication against vaginal discharge.
A related plant P. sarmentosum, which is used in cooking, is sometimes called "wild betel leaf".
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