Pharmacognostic Evaluation and In-Vitro Anti-Candidal Activity of Young Leaves of Common Piper betle Types in Sri Lanka

Piper betle is an evergreen, semi-woody climber possessing various pharmacological properties. The current study evaluates the morphological, anatomical, and phytochemical characteristics, as well as the antifungal activity, of the young leaves of common betel types in Sri Lanka: ‘Maneru’, ‘Ratadalu’, ‘Narammali’, ‘SuduNagawalli’, and ‘KahaNagawalli’. Plant samples were collected from the Intercropping and Betel Research Station at Narammala, Sri Lanka. Morphological and anatomical characteristics were compared using the second leaf from the apical bud. Phytochemical screening of the crude ethanolic extract was performed using thin-layer chromatography. In-vitro anti-candidal activity and Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations were investigated against standard cultures of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis. Ethanol, Chloroform, Ethyl acetate, Iso-propyl alcohol and Methanol were used for extraction of betel crude and to determine the anti-candidal activity. Variation among betel types in leaf shape, base, odor, apex, margin, and the length-to-width ratio was found to be marginal. Anomocytic stomatal arrangement, vein islet number, vein termination, and stomatal index were similar for all types. Oil bodies were observed in the lower surface of ‘KahaNagawalli’, while the other cultivars possessed oil bodies in both the lower and upper surfaces of the leaf. All betel types contained flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Extracts of all betel types showed significant anti-candidal activity against Candida sp. at 6.4 mg/mL concentration. Ethyl acetate, Chloroform, and Methanol extracts of P. betle were more effective as anti-candidal agents compared to Isopropyl alcohol and ethanolic betel crude extracts.