Essential oil of Piper betle L. leaves: Chemical composition, anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-β-glucuronidase and cytotoxic properties

The aroma and taste of different locally available varieties of Piper betle L. leaves vary due to their essential oil and other constituents. In this study, the essential oils were extracted from seven local varieties of P. betle L. leaves (Bangla, Bagerhati, Manikdanga, Meetha, Kalibangla, Chhaanchi and Ghanagete) with the aim to characterize the varieties on the basis of oil constituents and to study their enzyme inhibitory and cytotoxic properties. Forty five identified essential oil constituents were subjected to different multivariate statistical analyses e. g. PCA, PLS-DA (R2 = 0.40694; Q2 = 0.31199), OPLS-DA (R2X = 0.154; R2Y = 0.742; Q2 = 0.664) and sPLS-DA. The first three statistical models distinguished mainly Chhaanchi, Meetha, Manikdanga from the others. sPLS-DA model separated all the varieties. The biplot, VIP score plot and other loading plots obtained from the above mentioned models identified mainly the phenylpropanes and a few terpenes to be responsible for distinguishing the varieties chemically. The essential oils exhibited very good acetylcholinesterase inhibitory properties, suggesting their potential for enhancing memory function. The essential oils also inhibited β-glucuronidase, involved in excretion of xenobiotics and other materials from the body, and showed cytotoxic properties. The study suggested potential applicability of the P. betle L. leaf essential oils in medical and cosmetic sector.