The Journal of Phytopharmacology, 2014;3(5):374-377 DOI:10.31254/phyto.2014.3511
A review on Ficus palmata (Wild Himalayan Fig)
Yogesh Joshi1 , Amit Kumar Joshi1 , Nondita Prasad1 , Divya Juyal1
1. Himalayan Institute of Pharmacy & Research, Rajawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Traditionally, various plants are used for treatment of many diseases. Ficus palmata is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Moraceae. It contains a very juicy fruit and is used for making various products such as squash, jam and jelly from this fruit. The fruits contain chiefly sugars and mucilage and are principally used as an item of diet in several cases of constipation and in the diseases of the lungs and the bladder. The ficus palmata plant is used in various diseases, e.g. gastrointestinal disorders, hypoglycemia, tumour, ulcer, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and fungal infections. Traditionally, stem latex is applied to extract spines deeply lodged in the flesh. The phytochemical screening of the Ficus palmata plant extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides and aerial parts of Ficus palmata utilizing liquid–liquid fractionation and different chromatographic techniques resulted in the isolation of a new isomer of psoralenoside namely, transpsoralenoside in addition to, one triterpene: germanicol acetate, two furanocoumarins: psoralene, bergapten, one aromatic acid vanillic acid and the flavone glycoside rutin. The ficus palmata fruit shows antioxidant activity using free radical scavenging and ferric reducing activities. The plant also shows in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts. Fruit extract were analyzed against cervical cancer cell lines for antiproliferative activity while aqueous extract of Ficus palmata leaves showed dose dependant anticalcinogenic action. Ficus palmata total plant extract was found to show hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, antiulcer and anticoagulant activity.
Ficus palmata, Fruit, Edible, Antioxidant.
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