Botanical name : Piper betle Linn.
Family : Piperaceae
Introduction :
It is used for ‘tambaku’, more than medicinal. It is very much useful in cough, over dose may cause CNS depression.
Names in different Indian languages :
English : Betel, betel pepper
Hindi : Pan, tambuli
Kannada : Villayadele
Malayalam : Vettilakkoti, kotinnali
Sanskrit : Tambulavalli, tambulah
Tamil : Vetrilai Nagavalli, Kammaaruvetritai.
Telugu : Tamalapaku, nagavalli
Unani : Paan, Tambool.
Morphology :
Perennial climber
Leaves – simple, alternate, broadly ovate
Male spike dense – cylindrical. Female spike- pendulous.
Fruits are rarely produced
Distribution & Habitat :
Cultivated all over India
Chemical constituents :
beta- and gamma- sitosterol, hentriacontane, pentatriacontane, n-triacontanol, stearic acid and chavicol, carvacrol, eugenol, chavicol, allyl catechol, cineole, estragol, caryophyllene, cardinene, pcymene,eugenol methyl ether
Properties :
RASA-tikta,katu,kashaya
GUNA-laghu, ruksha
VIRYA-ushna
VIPAKA-katu
Karma : balyam, ruchyam, deepana, pachana, rochanam, raktha pitta vardanam stimulant, carminative, astringent, antiseptic
Indication :
Cough, asthma, fever, catarrh, otalgia
Part used :
Whole plant
Dosage :
Leaf juice 5-6 ml
Powder 2-4 g
Decoction 50-100 ml
Important Yogas or Formations :
Tamboola lehya and rasayana
Therapeutic Uses :
Leaf juice + sugar useful in cough