Areca cattechu Linn is commonly known as areca nut or betel nut. It is a very widely cultivated plant in eastern countries like India, Bangladesh, Ceylon, Malaya, the Philippines and Japan. The importance of this nut is due to its use for chewing purposes. It had an important place as a pharmaceutical in Ayurveda--the ancient Indian system of medicine--also in the Chinese medicinal practices. The pharmaceutical importance of areca nut is due to the presence of an alkaloid, arecoline. Synthetic arecoline hydrobromide is also shown to possess numerous pharmacological properties. Chewing of "betel quid" or areca nut is a typical oriental habit. Betel quid comprises betel leaf, areca nut, catechu, lime and sometimes also tobacco. It is shown that there exists a correlationship between betel quid or areca nut chewing habit and oral cancer. A number of investigators have been able to produce cellular changes such as leukoplakia by application of betel quid or areca nut extract to the buccal mucosa of different animal.
槟榔通常被称为槟榔果或槟榔子。它是一种在印度、孟加拉国、锡兰、马来亚、菲律宾和日本等东方国家广泛种植的植物。这种坚果的重要性在于其用于咀嚼的用途。在阿育吠陀——古印度医学体系——以及中国的医学实践中，它作为一种药物都占有重要地位。槟榔的药用价值归因于一种生物碱——槟榔碱的存在。合成的氢溴酸槟榔碱也显示出具有多种药理特性。咀嚼“槟榔块”或槟榔果是一种典型的东方习惯。槟榔块由槟榔叶、槟榔果、儿茶、石灰，有时还包括烟草组成。研究表明，咀嚼槟榔块或槟榔果的习惯与口腔癌之间存在关联。许多研究人员通过将槟榔块或槟榔果提取物应用于不同动物的颊黏膜，成功诱导出了诸如白斑等细胞变化。
