Studies on Piper betle of Sri Lanka

Abstract

More than twelve cultivars of Piper betle are reported in Sri Lanka but no chemical studies have been carried out on them, The present, study describes the morphological, physico - chemical, chemical and antimicrobial activities of six main cultivars of P. betle Linn namely Galdalu, Mahamaneru, Kudamaneru, Ratadalu, Nagawalli and Malabulath. The chemical constituents identified in the essential oil of Malabulath. by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were different to those from the other cultivars, The major compound in Malabulath was allylpyrocatechol diacetate while that in all other cultivars categorized as common betel was sufrole, Chemical compositions of the essential oil of the leaf, stalk, stem, fruit and root were different, The major compounds in the leaf, stom, stalk and root oil was safrole but in the fruit it was β-phellandrene, The composition of the oil also varied with maturity, The essential oil from common betel was active against Escherichia coli (NCTC 10148), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCTC 10662), Staphylocoacus epidermidis (NCTC 4276), Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 8532), and Streptococcus pyrogens. The essential oil and the ethanol extract were also active against Cladosporium up.