molecules Review Piper betle (L): Recent Review of Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties, Safety Profiles, and Commercial Applications Ni Made Dwi Mara Widyani Nayaka 1,* , Maria Malida Vernandes Sasadara 1 , Dwi Arymbhi Sanjaya 1 , Putu Era Sandhi Kusuma Yuda 1 , Ni Luh Kade Arman Anita Dewi 1 , Erna Cahyaningsih 1 and Rika Hartati 2 1 Department of Natural Medicine, Mahasaraswati University of Denpasar, Denpasar 80233, Indonesia;
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[email protected] Abstract: Piper betle (L) is a popular medicinal plant in Asia. Plant leaves have been used as a tradi- tional medicine to treat various health conditions. It is highly abundant and inexpensive, therefore promoting further research and industrialization development, including in the food and pharma- ceutical industries. Articles published from 2010 to 2020 were reviewed in detail to show recent updates on the antibacterial and antifungal properties of betel leaves. This current review showed that betel leaves extract, essential oil, preparations, and isolates could inhibit microbial growth and kill various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungal species, including those that Citation: Nayaka, N.M.D.M.W.; are multidrug-resistant and cause serious infectious diseases. P. betle leaves displayed high efficiency Sasadara, M.M.V.; Sanjaya, D.A.; on Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gram-positive bacteria Yuda, P.E.S.K.; Dewi, N.L.K.A.A.; such as Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans.