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OBJECTIVE To investigated the anti-de-pressant effects of the fruit Areca catechu L.(ACL)and elucidated its potential underlying mechanism using a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS).METHODS CUMS was induced in rats to establish a depression animal model for 28 d.According to the baseline sucrose preference,the male rats were divided into six different groups.They were treated with parox-etine hydrochloride,ACL,and water once a day until the behavioral tests were performed.The levels of corticoste-rone(CORT),malondialdehyde(MDA),catalase(CAT),and total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD)in serum were de-tected using a commercial kit,and the concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)and dopamine(DA)mono-amine neurotransmitters in the brain tissues were detect-ed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Doublecortin(DCX)expression in the hippocampal den-tate gyrus(DG)was determined by immunofluorescence,and the relative abundance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF),TrkB,PI3K,p-Akt/Akt,PSD-95,and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β of brain tissues were assayed by West-ern blotting.RESULTS ACL markedly increased sucrose preference,decreased the immobility time,and short-ened the feeding latency of CUMS-induced rats.CUMS induction resulted in marked changes in the contents of the monoamine neurotransmitters(5-HT and DA)in the hippocampus and cortex of brain tissues and the levels of CORT,MDA,CAT,and T-SOD in serum,whereas ACL administration alleviated these considerable changes.ACL promoted DCX expression in DG and increased the protein levels of BDNF,TrkB,PI3K,p-Akt/Akt,PSD-95,and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β in the brains of CUMS-induced rats.CONCLUSION Our results indicated that ACL may improve depression-like behaviors in CUMS-induced rats by decreasing the hyperfunction and oxidative stress of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,stimulating hippo-campal neurogenesis,and activating the BDNF signaling pathway.
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Areca nut is the dried and mature seed of Areca catechu L.in the palm family,which is a medicinal and food resource.It tastes bitter,spicy and warm.It has the functions of killing insects,eliminating accumulation,activating qi and nourishing water.It contains alkaloids,polyphenols,polysaccharides,fatty acids,amino acids,flavonoids,triterpenes and steroids and other chemical components.It has a certain protective effect on the ner-vous system,and mainly includes:① Arecoline con-tained in areca nut can stimulate the sympathetic nerve and simultaneously stimulate M receptor and N receptor,which can be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's dis-ease.② Antidepressant effect.Arecoline can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and stimulate nerve cell receptors,thus promoting the body's excitement.Total phenols increase the content of monoamine transmitters in the brain by decreasing the content of monoamine oxi-dase,thus exerting therapeutic effect on depression.③ Antioxidant effect.Polyphenols and flavonoids can reduce oxidative damage of nervous system,and their antioxidant capacity is related to their content.④ Anti-inflammatory effect.Areca polysaccharides can exert anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of NO in macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide.⑤Improved digestion.Areca nut water extract has a pro-moting effect on gastrointestinal motility,which is not only related to M choline receptor,but also probably related to α-adrenalin receptor.⑥Other effects.Such as anti-throm-bosis,anti-atherosclerosis,hypoglycemia,blood lipid reg-ulation,anti-tumor,anti-allergy,bacteriostasis,etc.This review summarized the chemical composition and phar-macological action of Areca catechu in recent years.It was found that the mechanism of action of Areca cate-chu L.is still unclear and further research is needed to provide basis for scientific utilization of Areca catechu.
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Sever cognitive and memory impairments, huge increase in the prevalence of the disease, and lacking definite cure have absorbed worldwide efforts to develop therapeutic approaches. Since many drugs have failed in the clinical trials due to multifactorial nature of AD, symptomatic treatments are still in the center attention and now, nootropic medicinal plants have been found as versatile ameliorators to reverse memory disorders. In this work, anti-Alzheimer's activity of aqueous extract of areca nuts (Areca catechu L.) was investigated via in vitro and in vivo studies. It depicted good amyloid ß (Aß) aggregation inhibitory activity, 82% at 100 µg/mL. In addition, it inhibited beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) with IC50 value of 19.03 µg/mL. Evaluation of neuroprotectivity of the aqueous extract of the plant against H2O2-induced cell death in PC12 neurons revealed 84.5% protection at 1 µg/mL. It should be noted that according to our results obtained from Morris Water Maze (MWM) test, the extract reversed scopolamine-induced memory deficit in rats at concentrations of 1.5 and 3 mg/kg.
La enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) es un trastorno neurodegenerativo relacionado con la edad. Los severos deterioros cognitivos y de la memoria, el enorme aumento de la prevalencia de la enfermedad y la falta de una cura definitiva han absorbido los esfuerzos mundiales para desarrollar enfoques terapéuticos. Dado que muchos fármacos han fallado en los ensayos clínicos debido a la naturaleza multifactorial de la EA, los tratamientos sintomáticos siguen siendo el centro de atención y ahora, las plantas medicinales nootrópicas se han encontrado como mejoradores versátiles para revertir los trastornos de la memoria. En este trabajo, se investigó la actividad anti-Alzheimer del extracto acuoso de nueces de areca (Areca catechu L.) mediante estudios in vitro e in vivo. Representaba una buena actividad inhibidora de la agregación de amiloide ß (Aß), 82% a 100 µg/mL. Además, inhibió la beta-secretasa 1 (BACE1) con un valor de CI50 de 19,03 µg/mL. La evaluación de la neuroprotección del extracto acuoso de la planta contra la muerte celular inducida por H2O2 en neuronas PC12 reveló una protección del 84,5% a 1 µg/mL. Cabe señalar que, de acuerdo con nuestros resultados obtenidos de la prueba Morris Water Maze (MWM), el extracto revirtió el déficit de memoria inducido por escopolamina en ratas a concentraciones de 1,5 y 3 mg/kg.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Areca/chemistry , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , beta-Amylase/antagonists & inhibitors , Amyloid beta-Peptides/drug effects , Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases/antagonists & inhibitors , Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases/drug effects , Neuroprotective Agents , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/antagonists & inhibitors , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/drug effects , Alzheimer Disease/enzymology , Alzheimer Disease/prevention & control , Morris Water Maze Test , Medicine, TraditionalABSTRACT
Abstract In the present study, anthelmintic activities of Arundo (A.) donax L., Areca (Ar.) catechu L., and Ferula (F.) assa-foetida L. were determined. Leaves of A. donax L., latex of F. assa-foetida L. and seeds of Ar. catechu L. in different solvent fractions were subjected to in vitro (egg hatch assay; EHA, and adult motility assay; AMA) and in vivo (faecal egg count reduction test; FECRT) tests of anthelmintic activity using Haemonchus contortus model. In the AMA, crude aqueous methanol extracts (CAME) and ethyl acetate fractions of F. assa-foetida at 10 hr post-treatment showed maximum mortality of H. contortus at 12.5-50 mg mL-1. In the EHA, CAME of F. assa-foetida was identified as a potent ovicide based on its low LC50 (16.9 µg mL-1), followed in order by Ar. catechu and A. donax. Results from the FECRT also showed the extract of F. assa-foetida L. to be more effective than those of Ar. catechu L. and A. donax L., against the gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes. Chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions showed better anthelmintic activities against the adult worms in vitro, while CAME of these plants were better than their crude powders in vivo. It is recommended to document and investigate indigenous knowledge of possible medicinal plants to plan scientific trials that may justify their endorsement.
Resumo No presente estudo, as atividades anti-helmínticas de Arundo (A.) donax L., Areca (Ar.) Catechu L. e Ferula (F.) assa-foetida L. foram determinadas. Folhas de A. donax L., látex de F. assa-foetida L. e sementes de Ar. catechu L. em diferentes frações de solvente foram submetidos a testes in vitro (teste de eclosão de ovos, EHA e ensaio de motilidade em adultos, AMA); e in vivo (teste de redução da contagem de ovos fecais, FECRT) de atividade anti-helmíntica, usando-se Haemonchus contortus. Na AMA, extratos aquosos brutos de metanol (CAME) e frações de acetato de etila de F. assa-foetida. Dez horas pós-tratamento, apresentaram mortalidade máxima de H. contortus em 12,5-50 mg mL-1. No EHA, CAME de F. assa-foetida foi identificado como um ovicida potente baseado em seu baixo LC50 (16,9 µg mL-1), seguido em ordem por Ar. catechu e A. donax. Os resultados do FECRT também mostraram que o extrato de F. assa-foetida L. é mais eficaz do que o de Ar. catechu L. e A. donax L., contra nematoides parasitas gastrointestinais. As frações clorofórmio e acetato de etila mostraram melhores atividades anti-helmínticas contra vermes adultos in vitro, enquanto o CAME dessas plantas foi melhor do que o pó bruto in vivo. Recomenda-se documentar e investigar o conhecimento indígena de possíveis plantas medicinais para planejar ensaios científicos que possam justificar seu endosso.
Subject(s)
Animals , Ferula , Haemonchus , Anthelmintics/pharmacology , Areca , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , PoaceaeABSTRACT
Betel nut is the dry and mature seed of Areca catechu L., which is originated in Malaysia and cultivated in Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan and other tropical areas of China. It is also known as big belly, binmen, olive seed, green seed and so on. Betel nut is a dual-use resource for medicine and food, which was first contained in LI Dang's Pharma?ceutical Record. Betel nut tastes bitter, pungent, warm in nature, and belongs to the stomach and large intestine meridian. It contains a variety of chemical components such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, fatty acids, amino acids, flavonoids, minerals, terpenoids, and steroids. It has the advantages of promoting digestion, lowering blood pres?sure, anti-depression, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasites, antibacterial and other activities. The content of total phenols in fresh fruits of areca nut was 31.1％, mainly including catechin, isorhamnetin, chrysopanthoxanthin, luteolin, tannin and other polyphenols. The commonly used methods for determination of polyphenols in areca are vanil?lin titration potassium permanganate titration and potassium ferricyanide spectrophotometry. The main activities and mechanisms of areca polyphenols include: ① Antidepressant effect: polyphenols bind to monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A) receptors that inhibit the production of neurotransmitters, thereby increasing the content of amine transmitters in the brain and playing a therapeutic effect on depression. ② Antioxidant effect: polyphenols contain multiple adjacent hydroxyl groups, which are easily oxidized and can effectively remove superoxide anion free radical, hydroxyl free radi?cal, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, showing good antioxidant activity.③Bacteriostatic effect:polyphenols can spe?cifically bind to the surface of bacteria, thus achieving bacteriostatic effect. Studies have found that betel nut polyphenols have varying degrees of inhibitory effects on a variety of bacteria. ④ Inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes: polyphenols deplete the mercaptan in lymphocytes and make them unable to survive, thus inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes.⑤Anti-aging effect: polyphenols have the effect of anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase, so as to protect elastin fiber and pro?mote collagen synthesis.⑥Anti-allergic effect:studies have found that polyphenols can reduce ovalbumin induced aller?gic reactions.⑦Other functions:betel nut can freshen breath, eliminate bad breath, and resist the activity of cobra venom. At present, domestic and foreign scholars' research on betel nut mainly focuses on arecoline and its carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, effects on reproductive function, addiction and toxicity to the nervous system, and there are few studies on the positive effects of betel nut, especially on it. There is less research on phenolic ingredients. Therefore, this article reviews the polyphenolic chemical constituents of betel nut, and fully excavates its pharmacological activity to provide a reasonable basis for the scientific use of betel nut.
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Areca catechu ranks the first of China's precious "four southern medicines", with a history of more than 1 800 years of medicinal use and extensive clinical application. The pharmacological effects of A. catechu mainly focus on insect repellent, anti-tumor, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis and the effects on digestive system and nervous system. In recent years, safety problems such as oral cancer caused by consumption of A. catechu have been frequently reported, and the main chemical components of both medicinal and edible A. catechu are arecoline, so the clinical safety of medicinal A. catechu has been questioned. Based on the chemical composition, this paper analyzes the pharmacological and toxicological characteristics of A. catechu, discusses the points for attention in clinical application, in order to provide a reference basis for the clinical safe and rational use of A. catechu.
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Areca catechu is a traditional Chinese medicine and an important medicine and food homologous variety, it’s widely distributed in tropical and subtropical provinces in southern China and other countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The fruitage of A. catechu is not only a kind of great fruit widely eaten to welcome guests, but also its peels and seeds can be used as medicines. Arecae Semen is one of the four precious “Southern Medicine” in China. Modern studies have shown that A. catechu contains alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and other chemical constituents. It has multiple activities in promoting digestion, lowering blood pressure and anti-depressant, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic and bacteriostatic activities etc. In this paper, the research progress of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of A. catechu in recent years was summarized, which provided research basis for the edible safety, research and development of traditional Areca products.
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Areca catechu is not only Chinese medicinal material but also one of traditional foods in Southeast Asia and China. In this paper, the usage and security were reviewed to discuss the effect of A. catechu on human health. Meanwhile, we put forward suggestions for the security of A. catechu and they may contribute to the medicinal and edible industry of A. catechu in future.
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Objective: To analyze the effect of extrusion factors such as extrusion speed, screen hole diameter, and extrusion times on the texture properties of extrudate and the quality of pellets. Methods: In this study, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as pelletization aid, lactose, Methocel E5 HPMC, Methocel E15 HPMC, Methocel K100 HPMC, and eight kinds of herbal extracts (extracts of Areca catechu, Patrinia scabiosae folia, Acorus tatarinowii, Sargentodoxa cuneata, Psoralea corylifolia, Dachuanxiong Decoction, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Gastrodia elata) were used as model drugs. Extrudates were prepared under different levels of process parameters, and one part was used to measure the texture parameters, the other part used for quality evaluation after spheronization. Results: With a large screen hole diameter, it showed that hardness of extrudate became lower and the adhesiveness as well as the springiness was significantly higher, leading to a large particle size and poor roundness of pellets. Repeated extrusion could increase hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience of extrudate. Not any strong correlation was found between the extrusion speed and texture properties in the study. Conclusion: The extrusion process could be purposefully selected to prepare ideal pellets accroding to texture properties of extrudate.
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The authors systemically evaluated and analyzed the safety of Areca catechu from domestic and foreign literatures about the herbal origin, toxicity recorded in ancient/current documents, safety case reports of clinical A. catechu, experimental studies on toxicity in recent years, and differences of safety risk between edible and medicinal A. catechu. Subsequently, they proposed a preliminary summary about the clinical characteristics and potential risk factors of safety related cases of A. catechu and its preparations. According to the authors, although clinical adverse events of A. catechu were fewer and controllable, clinicians shall stillstrictly standardize its application, and rationally combine it with other herbs, while strengthening fundamental and clinical studies related to safety, so as to give better guidance to safety application of A. catechu in clinic.
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Objective To explore the influential facts of betel quid chewing for patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) in Haikou,Hainan Province.Methods One hundred and twenty three patients in the Haikou City People's hospital were investigated regarding their clinical information,including age,sex,origins,kinds and time of betel nut chewing,obvious clinical features,cognition for its harmfulness and so on.Results (1)The mean age was 36.5 years old,the most common patients were the group between the ages of 30 and 50 among 123 patients,male preferred to chewing betel nut,the female fond of betel nut were mostly Li minority women.(2)People chewing the dry betel nut had the higher incidence than the ones who prefer the fresh in five years.The both were significant difference (x2 =18.79,P ＜0.01),however,the incidence difference between the patients at the same time and the ones chewing kinds of betel nut was not significant (P ＞ 0.05).(3)The early clinical features of some OSF patients included stimulating pain,mucosal blanching,gradual inability to open the mouth and fibrous bands.(4)Although 61 patients (49.59％) knew about the harmfulness of betel nut chewing for their oral health,they could not change their lifestyle.Conclusions Male prefers to chewing betel nut,the female fond of betel nut are mostly Li minority women in Haikou area,the parts of patients could not overcome the habit ofchewing betel nut; people chewing the dry betel nut has the higher incidence than the ones who prefer the fresh's at early period,and of the two the former prone to disease than the latter.
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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme can cause inflammation. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is also involved in the inflammatory response through regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB). Areca catechu is one of the known fruit plants of the Palmaceae family. It has been used for a long time as a source of herbal medicine in Indonesia. In this study, we explored the effect of Indonesian Areca catechu leaf ethanol extract (ACE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and carrageenan-induced paw edema models. Recently, this natural extract has been in the spotlight because of its efficacy and limited or no toxic side effects. However, the mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effect remains to be elucidated. MATERIALS/METHODS: We measured NO production by using the Griess reagent, and determined the expression levels of inflammation-related proteins, such as iNOS, COX2, and NF-kappaB, by western blot. To confirm the effect of ACE in vivo, we used the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. RESULTS: Compared to untreated cells, LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells treated with ACE showed reduced NO generation and reduced iNOS and COX-2 expression. We found that the acute inflammatory response was significantly reduced by ACE in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that ACE can inhibit inflammation and modulate NO generation via downregulation of iNOS levels and NF-kappaB signaling in vitro and in vivo. ACE may have a potential medical benefit as an anti-inflammation agent.
Subject(s)
Humans , Areca , Blotting, Western , Carrageenan , Cyclooxygenase 2 , Down-Regulation , Edema , Ethanol , Fruit , Herbal Medicine , Indonesia , Inflammation , NF-kappa B , Nitric Oxide , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type IIABSTRACT
Areca catechu Linn is one of the stimulant masticatory crude materials of Indian system of medicine. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of Areca catechu Linn extract on learning and memory in rats using radial arm maze. The extract used for study was of two different types of Areca catechu namely, wet and dried Areca catechu. Three groups of rats each consisting of seven animals were used for the purpose. Test groups were given 500mg/kg p.o of wet Areca catechu extract and dried Areca catechu extract respectively. It was observed that wet Areca catechu extract showed greater increase in spatial memory and learning in comparison to the control group of rats. Hence increase in spatial memory could be because of higher amount of arecoline present in wet Areca catechu extract.
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Areca catechu Linn is one of the stimulant masticatory crude materials of Indian system of medicine. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of Areca catechu Linn extract on learning and memory in rats using radial arm maze. The extract used for study was of two different types of Areca catechu namely, wet and dried Areca catechu. Three groups of rats each consisting of seven animals were used for the purpose. Test groups were given 500mg/kg p.o of wet Areca catechu extract and dried Areca catechu extract respectively. It was observed that wet Areca catechu extract showed greater increase in spatial memory and learning in comparison to the control group of rats. Hence increase in spatial memory could be because of higher amount of arecoline present in wet Areca catechu extract.