OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECT OF ARECA NUT EXTRACTS ON OVAL FIBROBLAST PROLIFERATION

The effects of aqueous extracts of raw, baked and boiled areca nuts we re tested on cultured human buccal mucosa fibroblasts. Cells were expo sed to extract concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 150, 300 and 500 mu g/ml. The arecoline and arecaidine content was determined in the extracts w ith HPLC and raw nut contained 5.5% m/m, baked nut 6.6% m/m and boiled nut 7.1% m/m. Extract concentrations of 50 to 150 mu g/ml inhibited c ell growth in a concentration-dependent manner but did not lead to tot al cell death during a 7 day period. However, total cell death did occ ur with concentrations of 300 and 500 mu g/ml. It is concluded that ar eca nut extract is toxic to cultured fibroblasts and inhibits their pr oliferation in a concentration-dependent manner.