Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES OF FLOWERS OF ARECA CATECHU

Sarath Lal P. S.*, Ajith Babu T. K., Ayshath Rizvana U., Mubashira K. V., Mumthaz P. M., Nawaz K. and Ziyana Nasrin

Abstract

Areca catechu (Fam: Arecacea) is a medium sized palm has a slender single trunk, 30 meter tall and 20 centimeter wide with annual rings are formed from the remains of leaf scars and the seeds are popular for chewing through some Asian countries. The seed is pungent, bitter, spicy, sweet, salty, and astringent. In old Indian scripts, Areca nut has been described has a therapeutic agent for leucoderma, anemia, obesity and is used to remove tapeworms and other intestinal parasites. The flowers are used by the tribes for treat inflammations associated with wounds and snake bites, they used the flowers for worship snake gods. The alkaloids of arecanut can be used to enhance the healing of burns and wounds. Most of the research works are reported on the seeds that it have hypoglycemic activity, anti oxidative property, decrease the Alzheimer’s disease sypmtoms, strong molluscicidal activity against snails. But very few studies are reported in flowers. The present study highlights the phytochemical, pharmacognostical and in-vitro antiinflammatory studies on the flowers of Areca catechu.

Keywords: Areca catechu Anti-inflammatory property.