puga :

पूगं गुरु हिमं रुक्षं कषयं कफपित्त जित् / मोहनं दीपनं रुच्यं आस्यवैरस्य नाशनम //

आर्द्र तद् गुर्वभिस्यंदी वह्नि दुष्टी हरं स्मृत म्/ स्विन्नं दोष त्रय च्चेदी दृढ मध्यं तदुत्तमम्// भा प्र

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae

VERNACULAR NAMES

English: Areca nut, Betel nut, Arecanut palm, Betel palm, Catechu palm, Fauselnut, Pinang, supari palm
Hindi: Puga, Supari
Urdu: Supari, Feefal
Telugu: Kramukamu, Pugamu
Bengali: Gua, Supari
Marathi: Pophali, Supari, Poog
Gujarathi: Hopari, Sopari
Tamil: Paaku, Kugagam, Pugam
Malayalam: Atekka, Pugam, Chempalukka,Pakka, Kramukam, Ghonta, kamuka, kavunnu
Kannada: Adike, Adake, Adaki, Adike, Bettadike
Arabic: fofal, feefal
Assamese: Tambul
Chinese: ping lang
Ceylon: Italian name, Portuguese name – areca
French: Dutch name – arecapalam boom, pinang. Russian name – areka, kapustnayapalma
German: areca palm
Burma: Kun, Kunsi
Tulu: Kangu

Synonyms

Synonyms in Ayurveda: puga, kramuka

Rasa: Kashaya Madhura
Guna: Guru Ruksha
Veerya: Sheetha
Vipaka: Katu

Dosage:

1 to 2 gm.

Morphology:

Habit – A tall tree grwosupto 100 ft. in height. Trunk – Straight, about 50 cm I circumference, uniformly thick. Leaves – Large, upto 7ft. long with numerous leaflets which are 30 to 60 cm long, Spadix much branched, bearing male and female flowers. Male flowers are numerous, sessile and without bracts. Female flowers are solitary or 2 or 3 at or near the base each ramification of the spadix, sessile and without bracts. Fruit – Orange coloured when ripens, 4 to 5 cm in diameter, having smooth surface.

Therapeutic Uses:

पूगं गुरु हिमं रुक्षं कषयं कफपित्त जित् /

मोहनं दीपनं रुच्यं आस्यवैरस्य नाशनम //

आर्द्र तद् गुर्वभिस्यंदी वह्नि दुष्टी हरं स्मृत म्/

स्विन्नं दोष त्रय च्चेदी दृढ मध्यं तदुत्तमम्// भा प्र

Benefits :

External Application-

Siddha tail of Puga is used in Katishula for massage
Pichu of Deco ction of Pugaphala is used in Shwetapradar
For Dantadhavana antardhum bhasma of Pugaophala is used.
In Upadamsha, supari is rubbed and crushed and lepa done.
It is ruchikara, mukhavaishadyakara, lalasravakara, deepaka and mukhadurgandhiharahence it is used aruchi, mukhaliptata, much durgandhi and agnimandya.
It is stambhana and krimighna in nature hence it should be used, in atisara, pravahika and krimi. Acts as krimighna due to ericholine contained in it.Active against tape and round worms.
In shukrameha and shvetapradara being shukrastambhana and garbhashayashothahara and also in bahumootrata.
Uttarbasti of pug decoction is used to treat condition of leucorrhea.
Or Add 1 tsf of betel nut powder in 500ml of water.This preparation is used for vaginal douch for curing the leucorrhoea.
Sesame oil processed with areca nut is used for external application over joints affected with pain and inflammation.
Supari powder is mixed with lime juice is given to treat anorexia and nausea.Dose-1-2gm
Application of Pug powder gives good result in wounds and ulcers of Mouth like stomatities, throat infections should be treated with the decoction of nut.The decoction is used for gargling.
Bettle nut powder should be rubbed on the teeth so as it prevents the yellowing of teeth.
Take 2tsf of bettel nut powder,fry it in ghee.Mix equal quantity of ajwain,kattha and sendha namak in it.Add some water in this preparation and apply this on the inflammed area of Gum. This gives best result in gum swelling.
Dusting of supari is done for quick wound healing. Being an astringent, it absorbs slough and wound liquids.
Pugphala siddha jala is used in dysuria.
In cough, betel nut chewed along with leaves of betel climber.
Pug powder siddha milk brings back ability to sexual pleasure.Dose-1gm
In Vatavyadhi, shalaki along with supari kwatha mixed with oil and given to drink.
In gum infection-take the ash which is obtained after burning of one nut and mixed with 2tsf of clove powder and katha(1/4 cup).This preparation should be mixed with water and used for rinsing mouth .

Systemic Use:

Upadamsa (Soft chancre)

Paste prepared from Puga (Areca catechu) is applied over the part in case of Upadamsa (Soft chancre).

Raktapitta(Intrinsic Haemorrhage)

Puga (Areca catechu) is mixed with Candana (Santalum album) given internally in case of Raktapitta (InstrinsicHaemorrhage).

Research:

A study was designed to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of A. catechu L. nut (ANE) treatment on migraine pain in rat models to strengthen its use as an antimigraine therapy. The PPE was reduced in both ANE treated groups of rats. The percent fluorescein was significantly increased in positive control group (97.00+7%, P<0.0001) compared to negative control (63.87+1.2%). With ANE treatments (250 and 500 mg/kg.) PPE was significantly decreased to 88.88+1.4% (p<0.01) and 83.55+01%(p<0.0001) compared to positive control groups, respectively .

Toxicity studies:

Regular chewing of bettle nut is harmful to the health.It should be used in recommended dose only for medicinal purpose.
Excessive chewing of nuts causes harm to your teeth.
It is contra-indicated to Asthamatic patient (due to bronchoconstrictive effects of alkaloid arecoline) and pregnancy(due to Abortifacient effect)
Due to increased incidence of oral cancer associated with betel chewing,it must not be used as masticatory.
The seeds are fatally toxic at 8-10gm,fluid extract at 3.5l