Chu N S
Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Medical College and Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
J Biomed Sci. 2001 May-Jun;8(3):229-36. doi: 10.1007/BF02256596.
Betel chewing has been claimed to produce a sense of well-being, euphoria, heightened alertness, sweating, salivation, a hot sensation in the body and increased capacity to work. Betel chewing also leads to habituation, addiction and withdrawal. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. Arecoline, the major alkaloid of Areca nut, has been extensively studied, and several effects of betel chewing are thought to be related to the actions of this parasympathomimetic constituent. However, betel chewing may produce complex reactions and interactions. In the presence of lime, arecoline and guvacoline in Areca nut are hydrolyzed into arecaidine and guvacine, respectively, which are strong inhibitors of GABA uptake. Piper betle flower or leaf contains aromatic phenolic compounds which have been found to stimulate the release of catecholamines in vitro. Thus, betel chewing may affect parasympathetic, GABAnergic and sympathetic functions. Betel chewing produces an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, sweating and body temperature. In addition, EEG shows widespread cortical desynchronization indicating a state of arousal. In autonomic function tests, both the sympathetic skin response and RR interval variation are affected. Betel chewing also increases plasma concentrations of norepinephrine and epinephrine. These results suggest that betel chewing mainly affects the central and autonomic nervous systems. Future studies should investigate both the acute and chronic effects of betel chewing. Such studies may further elucidate the psychoactive mechanisms responsible for the undiminished popularity of betel chewing since antiquity.
嚼槟榔据称会产生一种幸福感、欣快感、警觉性提高、出汗、流涎、身体有热感以及工作能力增强的感觉。嚼槟榔还会导致习惯化、成瘾和戒断反应。然而，这些作用背后的机制仍知之甚少。槟榔碱是槟榔的主要生物碱，已得到广泛研究，嚼槟榔的几种作用被认为与这种拟副交感神经成分的作用有关。然而，嚼槟榔可能会产生复杂的反应和相互作用。在有石灰的情况下，槟榔中的槟榔碱和去甲槟榔碱分别水解为槟榔次碱和去甲槟榔次碱，它们是γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）摄取的强抑制剂。蒌叶花或叶含有芳香酚类化合物，已发现这些化合物在体外能刺激儿茶酚胺的释放。因此，嚼槟榔可能会影响副交感神经、GABA能和交感神经功能。嚼槟榔会使心率、血压、出汗和体温升高。此外，脑电图显示广泛的皮层去同步化，表明处于觉醒状态。在自主神经功能测试中，交感皮肤反应和RR间期变异性均受到影响。嚼槟榔还会增加血浆中去甲肾上腺素和肾上腺素的浓度。这些结果表明，嚼槟榔主要影响中枢神经系统和自主神经系统。未来的研究应调查嚼槟榔的急性和慢性影响。此类研究可能会进一步阐明自古代以来嚼槟榔一直广受欢迎的精神活性机制。
