Palm tree effect

The nut of a palm tree is chewed by millions is Asia and elsewhere with the leaves of Piper betel to produce mild stimulatory effects. Arecolin and arecaidinen are among the active constituents, but they... 

Areca (Areca catechu) is a tall palm tree that yields a nut, commonly chewed in Asia for its stimulant effects. It is discussed at greater length in chapter 4, but is mentioned here briefly for its cognitive effects. Areca s psychoactive constituents (arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline, and guvacine) are agonists at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. They also directly inhibit reuptake of GABA. 

S. repens (American dwarf palm tree, cabbage palm, sabal, saw palmetto) has mainly been used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. In placebo-controlled and comparative studies its efficacy in benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms has been demonstrated (5). Numerous mechanisms of action have been proposed, including an antiandrogenic action, an anti-inflammatory effect, and an antiproliferative influence through inhibition of growth factors. 

Areca catechu is a palm tree cultivated in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. The nuts of this palm, often referred to as betel nuts, are chewed by more than 200 million people to produce a mildly stimulating effect. So, though not often seen in the United States, areca is one of the world s most popular drugs. Chewing areca or betel is a practice similar to chewing tobacco in the United States, and, like nicotine, the active chemical in areca, arecoline, affects the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Users appear to develop a nicotine-like dependence on areca. Heavy use stains the mouth and lips red and damages the mouth and teeth, but users are often unable to quit chewing despite these problems (Spinella, 2001). 

Figure 4 Effect of microwave treatment weight loss of contaminanted palm-tree to environmentally polluted atmosphere mass burn in 1991) in Kuwait...

Serenoa repens (Bartram) Small (saw palmetto) is an herb that is most commonly used to treat problems related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The medicinal element of saw palmetto is taken from the partially dried ripe fruit of the American dwarf palm tree, which is indigenous to the coastal regions of the southern United States, from the Carolinas and Florida to California. BPH is a nearly universal result of the aging process in men. Saw palmetto is widely used in other countries for example, it is used in 50% of treatments for BPH in Italy and in 90% of such treatments in Germany. The active part of the plant is the sterols and free fatty acids found in the berry. It is unclear which components are the most active, and the mechanism of action is not fully understood. Some of the mechanisms proposed include anti-inflammatory activity, blocked conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and prostate epithelial involution similar to effects... 

In comparison, the average tree consumes only 1 ton of COz in a lifetime, and an acre of rainforest consumes about 500 tons yearly. When agribusiness, the ethylene industry, or pulp and paper corporations turn forests or rainforests into farmland, they also destroy an effective consumer of COz. The world s fastest-disappearing forests are in Indonesia, where they are cut down either to make paper pulp or to be replaced by palm oil plantations. Palm oil is mostly used to make biodiesel fuels. Tropical deforestation not only results in COz emissions (20% of the global total), but it also poisons the rivers. 

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