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Abstract
Betel leaf chewing in India is an old tradition. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of Piper betel Linn. (Piperaceae) leaf extract on glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids in rats subjected to chronic ethanol administration. Administration of ethanol (7.9 g/kg body weight) for 60 days resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels and an elevation of serum and tissue (liver and kidney) lipids, as compared to normal control. Subsequent to the experimental induction of toxi-city (i.e., the initial period of 30 days) P. betel extract was simultaneously administered in three different doses (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days along with the daily dose of alcohol. Co-administration of P. betel significantly increased blood glucose and lowered the levels of plasma and tissue lipids as compared to ethanol-treated rats. The leaf extract, at 300 mg/kg, showed a greater hypolipidemic effect than the 100 and 200 mg/kg doses. These results suggest that P. betel leaf extract exhibits a hypolipidemic effect in ethanol-treated rats.