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| Areca Catechu L Family : Palmae |
Chewing the mixture of areca nut and betel leaf is a tradition or costum which dates back thousand of years in many Asian and Oceanic countries. It is not known when areca nut and betel leaf was combined together in to one psychoactive drug. Archaeological evidence from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines suggest that they have been used for four thousand years or more. In the Indian sub continent chewing of betel and areca nut dates back to pre Vedic period to Harrapan Empire.
Chinese work "Shan-fu-huang" supposed to have been written during 140-8 B.C. referred areca nut under the name "pinlang", a Malaysian word. Spanish mariner Alvaro de Mandena had reported how Solomon Islander were chewing the areca nut with leaves of betel and caustic lime that stained their mouths red.
Opinion of the origin of the areca nut is uncertain and has diverging views. Different researches have found wild species of the genus in Malaysia, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and in the Sumatera Island of Indonesia.
PRODUCTS AND USES
The fruit of the Areca palm, commonly call as areca nut, is mainly used for chewing with betel leaf in almost all South Asian Countries and in many South East Asian and Oceanic countries. It is a mild stimulant cause a mild hot sensation to the body. Nut is used both in fresh and dried forms. In Pakistan and India fresh nut are cut and flavored to produce different products. In China and India areca nut is used in preparation of Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicines. In India powdered areca nut is used as a constituent in some tooth pastes. In some parts of India powdered areca nuts, decoctions and extracted alkaloids from areca are used in the veterinary medicine to remove tapeworms and other intestinal parasites of animals.
Areca leaves are used to produce many house hold items, for decorative purposes and the leaf sheath to make fast decomposing plates, packing materials etc. Traditionally, areca leaf sheaths have been used to pack cooked rice and to preserve treacle of "Fish Tail Palm". Matured stems are used as a building materials as well as for decoration of religious events by Hindus. Young plants are used as an ornamental plant.
Chemical constituents in areca nut are tannin, gallic acid and a fixed oil gum, a little terpineol, lignin, various saline substances and three main alkaloids namely Arecoline, Arecain and Guachine which have vasocontriction properties.
Source : http://www.exportagridept.gov.lk/
