Piper betleoides C. DC.: Edible source of betel-scented sesquiterpene-rich essential oil

Betel leaf or 'Paan' (Piper betle) is an integral component of the addictive chewing stimulant 'betel quid' which is traditionally consumed by a large population in the Asian countries. Betel essential oil is also heavily used by the flavour industries. Often, it constitutes of carcinogenic and genotoxic phenylpropanoids. High incidence of the oral carcinogenesis in this part of the world has been linked to the chewing of betel quid as well as Paan. In this study, Piper betleoides C. DC. (wild Paan) was identified as the edible plant source from north-east India possessing betel-scented essential oil which was highly rich in sesquiterpenoids majorly germacrene D and beta-caryophyllene. Identity of the plant was confirmed through critical taxonomic studies. Further, the essential oil yield and composition were investigated across different vegetative (young and mature leaves, stem) and reproductive (male and female inflorescence) tissues of P. betleoides through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1, C-13 NMR) spectroscopic analyses. The comparative quantitative investigation showed a high dominance by sesquiterpenoids (>90%) in the leaves of P. betleoides with no detection of phenylpropanoids. On the contrary, a high level of phenylpropanoids (>75%) was found in P. betle (Bangla Paan). In effect, P. betleoides can be a potential alternative source of betel-scented sesquiterpene-rich essential oil.