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. 2022 Oct 13;12(10):1469.
doi: 10.3390/biom12101469.

Metabolomic Profile of Indonesian Betel Quids

Pangzhen Zhang  1 , Elizabeth Fitriana Sari  2   3 , Michael J McCullough  4 , Nicola Cirillo  4
Affiliations

Metabolomic Profile of Indonesian Betel Quids

Pangzhen Zhang et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

Consumption of areca nut alone, or in the form of betel quid (BQ), has negative health effects and is carcinogenic to humans. Indonesia is one of the largest producers of areca nuts worldwide, yet little is known about the biomolecular composition of Indonesian areca nuts and BQs. We have recently shown that phenolic and alkaloid content of Indonesian BQs exhibits distinct geographical differences. Here, we profiled for the first time the metabolomics of BQ constituents from four regions of Indonesia using non-targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. In addition to well-known alkaloids, the analysis of small-molecule profiles tentatively identified 92 phytochemicals in BQ. These included mainly benzenoids and terpenes, as well as acids, aldehydes, alcohols, and esters. Safrole, a potentially genotoxic benzenoid, was found abundantly in betel (Piper betle) inflorescence from West Papua and was not detected in areca nut samples from any Indonesian region except West Papua. Terpenes were mostly detected in betel leaves and inflorescence/stem. Areca nut, husk, betel leaf, the inflorescence stem, and BQ mixture expressed distinctive metabolite patterns, and a significant variation in the content and concentration of metabolites was found across different geographical regions. In summary, this was the first metabolomic study of BQs using GC-MS. The results demonstrate that the molecular constituents of BQs vary geographically and suggest that the differential disease-inducing capacity of BQs may reflect their distinct chemical composition.

Keywords: alkaloids; areca nut; benzenoids; betel quid; metabolomics; terpenes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Heatmap of natural compounds found in betel quid ingredients.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Peaks of alkaloids; (A) arecoline, (B) arecaidine, (C) guvacoline, and (D) guvacine.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mass spectrum of target ions of arecoline (A), arecaidine (B), guvacoline (C), and guvacine (D).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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