Table 1.

Ingredients of gutkha

Ingredients	Constituents	Origin/preparation	Carcinogens/products
Areca nut	Polyphenols: Flavonoids, Tannins	Unripe/ripe, whole/sliced raw/roasted/sundried boiled/soaked in water fermented (under mud)	Arecoline, MNPN
	Alkaloids: Arecoline, Arecaidine, Guvacine, Guvacoline
	Carbohydrate, Fat, Proteins, Crude fibers, Minerals
Tobacco	Aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons, Alkaloids- Nicotine, Nornicotine, Cotinine, Anatabine, Anabasine	Sundried, fermented boiled with molasses perfumed concentrated extract (Kiwam)	NNN, NNK, NAT, NAB,* Benzo (a) Pyrene (BaP), toxic metals
Catechu	Catechu- Tannic acid, Acacatechin, Quercetin, and Catechu red	Extracted form heartwood of Acacia Catechu or Suma leaves of Uncaria Gambler, bark of Lithocarpus Polystachya (nang ko)	ROS when used with lime
Slaked lime	Calcium carbonate	From coral, shell fish, quarried lime stone	ROS when used with lime
Spices	Clove, cardamom, aniseed	Plants	-
Sweeteners	Sugar, saccharine	Sugar cane	-
Essences	Menthol, mint, saffron, sandalwood, and musk ketones.	Plants, trees	-

^*Tobacco specific N-Nitrosamines

MNPN: 3-(methylnitrosamino) propionitrile; ROS: Reactive oxygen species; NNN: N'-nitrosonornicotine; NAB: N'-nitrosoanabasine; NAT: N'-nitrosoanatabine; NNK: 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone