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Arecaceae
See also Herbal medicines
General information
Genera in the family of Arecaceae ( Table 1 ), also known as Palmaceae, include various types of palm.
Table 1
Genera of Arecaceae
| Acoelorraphe (palm) | Cocos (coconut palm) | Pritchardia (pritchardia) |
| Acrocomia (acrocomia) | Copernicia (carnauba wax palm) | Pseudophoenix (pseudophoenix) |
| Aiphanes (aiphanes) | Corypha (talipot palm) | Ptychosperma (ptychosperma) |
| Archontophoenix (archontophoenix) | Dypsis (butterfly palm) | Raphia (raffia palm) |
| Areca (areca) | Elaeis (oil palm) | Rhapidophyllum (rhapidophyllum) |
| Bactris (pupunha) | Gaussia (gaussia) | Roystonea (royal palm) |
| Borassus (toddy palm) | Livistona (livistona) | Sabal (palmetto) |
| Calamus (rattan palm) | Mauritia (moriche palm) | Serenoa (serenoa) |
| Calyptronoma (manac) | Metroxylon (sago palm) | Thrinax (thatch palm) |
| Caryota (fishtail palm) | Nipa (nipa palm) | Veitchia (manila palm) |
| Chamaedorea (chamaedorea) | Phoenix (date palm) | Washingtonia (fan palm) |
| Coccothrinax (silver palm) | Prestoea (prestoea) |
Areca catechu
Areca catechu (areca, betel) contains piperidine alkaloids, such as guvacine, guvacoline, and isoguvacine, and pyridine alkaloids, such as arecaidine, arecolidine, and arecoline.
Many of the world’s population (more than 200 million people worldwide) chew betel nut quid, a combination of areca nut, betel pepper leaf (from Piper betle ), lime paste, and tobacco leaf. The major alkaloid of the areca nut, arecoline, can produce cholinergic adverse effects (such as bronchoconstriction) [ ] as well as antagonism of anticholinergic agents [ ]. The lime in the betel quid causes hydrolysis of arecoline to arecaidine, a central nervous system stimulant, which accounts, together with the essential oil of the betel pepper, for the euphoric effects of chewing betel quid.
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