Age Ayurveda Nighantu

Puga

Areca catechu

Puga (Areca catechu) is a plant used in Ayurveda. CAUTION: restricted dose due to arecoline content Bioavailability: Arecoline (primary alkaloid) from Areca catechu (Puga/Supari) has high oral bioavailability (>70%) with rapid buccal and GI absorption.

Key facts
Botanical nameAreca catechu
FamilyArecaceae · other entries in this family
OrderArecales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2736531 · Wikidata Q156969 · NCBI Taxonomy 184783

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishPuga

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)KashayaPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)Guru, RukshaPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)SheetaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)KatuPost-digestive effect

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (nut powder), Kwatha (decoction), Tablet, Capsule, Supari (processed betel nut), Mouth freshener formulation

Standard Dosage: 1-2 g processed nut powder daily; 500 mg standardized extract daily; traditional chewing: small piece (1-2 g) after meals. CAUTION: restricted dose due to arecoline content

Bioavailability: Arecoline (primary alkaloid) from Areca catechu (Puga/Supari) has high oral bioavailability (>70%) with rapid buccal and GI absorption. Arecoline is a muscarinic agonist with parasympathomimetic activity. Tannins (catechin, epicatechin) have moderate oral bioavailability (15-30%). Procyanidins are partially absorbed and undergo colonic bacterial metabolism. Buccal absorption during chewing provides rapid onset of action.

Optimal Timing: Traditional: small piece after meals for digestive stimulation. Not recommended for regular/prolonged use. Any therapeutic use should be under qualified practitioner supervision.

Standardized Extract: De-arecolinized Puga extract standardized to procyanidins >20%, residual arecoline <0.1%. Full alkaloid extract (for research/controlled formulation only) with arecoline 2-4%. Tannin-rich fraction with catechin >10%.

Shelf Life: Dried nut: 12-24 months; Processed Supari: 6-12 months; Extract: 18-24 months; Tablets: 24 months

Storage: Dried nut: cool, dry, pest-proof storage, below 25 deg C. Processed products: airtight containers, protect from moisture. Extracts: amber containers, below 25 deg C. All: protect from insect infestation (susceptible to storage pests).

Marker Compounds: Arecoline, Arecaidine, Guvacine, Guvacoline, Catechin, Epicatechin, Procyanidin B1, Gallic acid

Extraction Methods

  • Aqueous decoction of nut
  • Hydroalcoholic extraction (50-70% ethanol)
  • Methanol extraction for alkaloid profiling
  • Traditional processing: slicing, drying, and treating with lime and catechu
  • Supercritical CO2 for alkaloid-reduced fractions

Synergistic Combinations

  • Lavanga/Clove (digestive and mouth freshener)
  • Ela/Cardamom (carminative combination)
  • Khadira/Catechu (astringent and oral health)
  • Jatiphala/Nutmeg (digestive after-meal combination)
  • Haritaki (digestive and anthelmintic synergy)

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Other clinical studies and reviews7

  1. Tong T, Xu A, Tan S and others. 2024. Biological Effects and Biomedical Applications of Areca Nut and Its ExtractPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38399443 · doi:10.3390/ph17020228
  2. Bernstein N, Akram M, Yaniv-Bachrach Z and others. 2021. Is it safe to consume traditional medicinal plants during pregnancy?Phytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 33164294 · doi:10.1002/ptr.6935
  3. Salehi B, Konovalov DA, Fru P and others. 2020. Areca catechu-From farm to food and biomedical applicationsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 32159263 · doi:10.1002/ptr.6665
  4. Volgin AD, Bashirzade A, Amstislavskaya TG and others. 2019. DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: ArecolineACS chemical neuroscience. PMID 30664352 · doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00711
  5. 2012. Areca Nut PMID 37043595
  6. Fugh-Berman A. 2000. Herb-drug interactionsLancet (London, England). PMID 10675182 · doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(99)06457-0
  7. Norton SA. 1998. Betel: consumption and consequencesJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology. PMID 9448210 · doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(98)70543-2

Laboratory and animal studies4

  1. Li J, Chen Y, Zhou G and others. 2023. Phytohormones and candidate genes synergistically regulate fruitlet abscission in Areca catechu LBMC plant biology. PMID 37919647 · doi:10.1186/s12870-023-04562-8
  2. Ji X, Guo J, Pan F and others. 2022. Structural Elucidation and Antioxidant Activities of a Neutral Polysaccharide From Arecanut (Areca catechu L.)Frontiers in nutrition. PMID 35340550 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.853115
  3. Ma J, DU X, Zhao A and others. 2022. Anti-hypoxic pharmacological effects of betelnut polyphenolsZhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences. PMID 35545347 · doi:10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2022.210582
  4. Yang Y, Huang L, Xu C and others. 2021. Chromosome-scale genome assembly of areca palm (Areca catechu)Molecular ecology resources. PMID 34133844 · doi:10.1111/1755-0998.13446

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.