PIPER BETLE Linn                                                                                               IKMO

Piper siriboa Linn.

Chavica siriboa Miq.

Piper anisumolens Blanco

Piper anisodorum Blanco

Chavica betle Miq.

Piper philippinense C. DC.

Piper bathycarpum C. DC.

Piper blancoi Merr.

Piper puberulinodum C. DC.

Piper carnistylum C. DC.

Local names: Buyo (Bik.); buyo-anis (Tag.); buyo-buyo (Bik.); buyog (Mbo.); buyok (C. Bis.); buyu (Sul.); gaoed (Pang.); gaued (Ilk.); gauod (It.); gok (Ibn.); ikmo (Tag.); ikmong-iloko (Tag.); itmo (Tag.); kanisi (Bis.); mamin (Bis., Tag.); mamon (Bis.); samat (Pamp.); betel, betel leaf pepper (Engl.).

Ikmo is cultivated throughout the Philippines and also occurs wild in most provinces of Luzon. It is also found in India to Malaya.

This plant is a dioecious, smooth, climbing vine reaching a height of 2 to 4 meters. The upper leaves are usually oblong-elliptic, oblong-ovate or ovate, 6 to 17.5 centimeters long, 3.5 to 10 centimeters wide, 7-plinerved, and smooth on both surfaces. The male spikes are subpendulous, slender, 7 to 13.5 centimeters long, and 2 to 3.5 millimeters in diameter. The rachis is hairy. The two stamens are stalked, 0.75 to 1 millimeter long; and the anthers reniform. The female spikes, when mature, are red, fleshy, oblong to elongated oblong, 3 to 8 centimeters long, and 0.5 to 1 centimeter thick. The rachis is hairy and the bracts stalkless, peltate, with a smooth disk, transversely oblong to suborbicular, and about 1 centimeter wide. The fruit is coalescing , fully embedded in the pulp and concrescent with the rachis. The seeds are smooth, oblong to globose-obovoid, 2.25 to 2.6 millimeters long, and about 2 millimeters in diameter. The stigmas number 4 to 6, and rarely, 3.

The Filipinos, Hindus, Malays, Siamese, Cambodians, Annamites and Chinese (southern) use the leaves as a masticatory scraped areca nut and lime. It is known locally as buyo, or hitsu.

According to Grieve the chief constituent of the leaves is a volative oil varying in the leaves from different countries and known as betel oil. It contains two phenols, betelphenol (chavibetol) and chavicol. Cadinene has also been found. Nadkarni considers the chavicol as a powerful antiseptic, twice as strong and isometric with eugenol. The characteristic odor of the leaves and oil is due to the chavicol. He says that the leaves also contain an alkaloid, arakene, with properties allied to cocaine. The betel oil contains also terpene and sesquiterpene. Kirtikar and Basu quote Mann, Sahasrabuddhe, and Patwardhan of Poona in their interesting studies of the chemistry and physiology of the leaves of  betel. According to them, the younger leaves contain much more essential oil, much more diastase, and much more sugar than those which are older. The tannin content in both is the same. Gildemeister writes of the properties of the oil as follows: Betel oil is a light-yellow to dark-brown liquid, often aromatic, somewhat creosotelike in odor, and having a sharp burning taste. The specific gravity varies between 0.958 and 1.057. he adds that in addition to other constituents mentioned by Nadkarni, the Java betel contains betelphenol, allylpyrocathecol, cineol, eugenol, methyl ether, and caryphyllene. Wehmer mentions menthone as being present also. Read states that the leaves contain vitamin C.

According to Bruntz and Jaloux the leaves are official in the British (4, 5); and French (1) Pharmacopoeias. They are also reported in the Indian Pharmacopoeia.

Grieve and Christy consider the leaves stimulant, antiseptic and sialogogue. Sanyal and Ghose and Nadkarni add that they are carminative, astringent (juice of the leaves with oil), and aphrodisiac. The juice of the leaves is a valuable stomachic and febrifuge. Kirtikar and Basu consider them as a useful expectorant.

As an external medicine, the Filipinos use the fresh, crushed  leaves as an antiseptic for cuts and wounds, and as a poultice for boils. Sanyal and Ghose, Waring and Drury report that a warm poultice of the leaves and oil (coconut) is applied on the chest of children in catarrhal and pulmonary affections, and is administered for congestion and other affections of the liver. The leaves are similarly employed as a resolvent for glandular swellings. Sanyal and Ghose, Daruty, Grieve, Waring and Drury say that in India the leaves, warmed and applied in layers, are used effectually for arresting the secretion of milk. Sanyal and Ghose state that the leaves are applied to the temples in headache for relieving pain. Kirtikar and Basu report that chewing betel leaves early in the morning sweetens the breath, improves the voice and removes all foulness of the mouth. Stuart records that the oil is highly recommended in China as a counterirritant in swellings, bruises, painful sores and enlarged glands.

Concerning the medicinal use of the leaves in the Philippines, Tavera and Guerrero say that the leaves, together with lime and betel nut, constitute a masticatory in general use among the Filipinos, who consider it a preservative of the teeth and a prophylactic against certain complaints of the stomach. The leaves, when greased with lard or sesame oil, are much used by Filipinos, as a carminative medicine applied to the abdomens of children suffering from gastric disorders. The juice leaves is regarded as a valuable stomachic. Stuart says that in China, the roots, leaves and fruits are considered to have carminative, stimulant, corrective and prophylactic properties, and are used for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Drury quotes Dr. Elliot of Colombo, who warns against the danger of chewing buyo, this warning being based on his observation of several cases of a certain type of cancer, which, from its peculiar characteristics, he has designated the “betel chewer’s cancer”. Nadkarni records that the leaves increase salivary secretion. A  liquid extract is prescribed in catarrhal inflammations of the throat, larynx and bronchi, and also in coughs, dyspnoea and indigestion. The roots with black pepper are used to produce sterility in women. Kleinstück who studied the therapeutic use of the leaves extensively confirms previous experiences of other physicians who found that the oil is effective in inflammation of the throat, larynx and bronchi, and as gargle and inhalation of diphtheria.