Variations in Chlorophyll and Polyphenols in Exotic Arecanut (Areca catechu L.) Accessions

Abstract

About 76 species are known to exist in the genus Areca (Murthy and Pillai, 1982; Ananda, 2004). Among these, Areca catechu is the only cultivated species, the nuts of which are chewed as mild stimulant and only the major use of the crop. Arecanut considered as one of the major cash crops of South and North Eastern parts of India. Crop improvement work in arecanut has been mainly through introduction of exotic and indigenous accessions and refinements of selection procedure in mother palms, seed nuts and seedlings.