FEMA | N/A |
CAS | 63-75-2 |
EINECS | 200-565-5 |
JECFA Food Flavoring | N/A |
CoE Number | N/A |
Organoleptic Notes |
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Odor | N/A |
Flavor | N/A |
Material Notes | an alkaloid obtained from the betel nut (areca catechu), fruit of a palm tree. it is an agonist at both muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. it is used in the form of various salts as a ganglionic stimulant, a parasympathomimetic, and a vermifuge, especially in veterinary practice. it has been used as a euphoriant in the pacific islands. Isol. from betel nuts Arecoline is an alkaloid natural product found in the areca nut, the fruit of the areca palm (Areca catechu). It is an oily liquid that is soluble in water, alcohols, and ether.; Owing to its muscarinic and nicotinic agonist properties, arecoline has shown improvement in the learning ability of healthy volunteers. Since one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is a cognitive decline, arecoline was suggested as a treatment to slow down this process and arecoline administered via i.v. route did indeed show modest verbal and spatial memory improvement in Alzheimer's patients, though due to arecoline's possible carcinogenic properties, it is not the first drug of choice for this degenerative disease. |