Phytopharmacology of Ficus bengalensis - A Review

 

Prathap Kumar Kothapalli, Jagadeesh. S. Sanganal, N.B. Shridhar

Dept. of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Veterinary College, Bangalore-560024, Karnataka, India

*Corresponding Author E-mail: prathapkumar.k@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

Ethnopharmacology is the study of the medicinal use of plants by indigenous people. Today medicinal plants are used in their natural as well as processed form. The plant derived medicinal substances are secondary metabolites.  Most of these chemicals are harmless, many possess medicinal properties and still many are toxic. Ficus  (Family: Moraceae), commonly known as Banyan tree or Vata or Vada tree in Ayurveda, is a tree considered to be sacred in India. Traditionally, Ficus benghalensis is used as astringent, haemostat, as anti-inflammatory and anti-septic agent and in other ailments. The present review aims to update the information on the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Ficus .

 

KEY WORDS: Ficus , Phytochemistry, Pharmacological properties.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Ficus benghalensis (Family: Moraceae) is a large evergreen tree distributed all over India from sub Himalayan region in the north to the deciduous forest of Deccan and south India. It is hardy and drought-resistant plant; it withstands mild frost and found throughout the year, from sea level to an elevation of about 3,000 ft.1 It is used in ayurveda in diarrhoea, desyntry, piles, as a hypoglycaemic, astringent, diuretic, tonic, in rheumatitis, in gingivitis.2 Charaka  prescribed  aqueous  extract  of leaf buds  of Nyagrodha (Ficus ) mixed with sugar and honey for checking diarrhoea, haemorrhages and bleeding piles. The aerial roots were used to check vomiting and in osteomalacia of limbs.3 The bark is used in diabetes, leucorrhoea, gonorrhoea. The leaves are used in ulcers, leprosy, in allergies and abscesses of skin. The fruits are used as  tonic and refrigerant.4

 

Scientific classification of Ficus:

Kingdom:             Plantae                 

Phylum:                Traceophyta                        

Class:                     Magnoliopsida    

Order:                   Urticales                               

Family:                                 Moraceae                             

Genus:                   Ficus                      

Species:                                 Ficus  L

Synonyms:            Ficus indica L. and Ficus banyana

 

Common names of Ficus benghalensis in various languages:

Bahupada, Avaroha (Sanskrith); Alamaram (Tamil); Aaladhamara, Vata, Nyagrodha (Kannada); Bargad, Vatavruksh (Hindi); Bar (Bengali); Vad (Gujarathi)

 

Botany (Macroscopy):

The Tree, often very large, up to 30 m tall, with many aerial roots which develop into new trunks so that the tree goes on spreading laterally indefinitely.5 The leaves are leathery, entire, ovate or elliptic, 20-40 cm long and 7-20cm wide, apex obtuse, base rounded with prominent lateral veins; petioles 2.5-5 cm long; stipules stout opposite arrangement and has reticular pinnate venation.  The Fruits (figs) are 1 to 2 cm in diameter, globose, without stalks, in pairs in leaf axils, and when ripe are bright red.  The bark is grey, hard surfaced and uneven; 0.5-1.9 cm thick, on rubbing white papery flakes come out from the outer surface inner surface light brown fracture fibrous taste mucilaginous without any characteristics odour.6

 

Phytochemical properties of Ficus benghalensis:

Preliminary phytochemical investigation of root of F. benghalensis showed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, amino acids/ proteins, steroids, saponins and Tannins.7 Leaves yield contain, rutin, friedelin, taraxosterol, lupeol, β-amyrin along with psoralen, bergapten, β-sisterol and quercetin-3-galactoside. 8

 

 

Figure 1: Friedelin                                                                         Figure 2: β –sitosterol

 

The bark of the Ficus benghalensis contains leucopelargonidin-3-0-α-L rhamnoside and leuco cynidin 3-0- β-D galactosyl cellobioside, glucoside, beta glucoside, 20-tetratriaconthene-2-one,6-heptatriacontene-10-one, pentatriacontan-5-one, beta sitosterolalpha-Dglucose, and meso-inositol. 5,9

 

Figure 3: Quercetin-3-galactoside                                        Figure 4: Leucodelphenidine

 

Leucodelphenidine derivative 10, Bengalenoside: Aglucoside11, Leucopelargonin derivative 12, 13, leucocynidin derivative 14, glycoside of leucopelargonidin 15, have been isolated from the bark of the Ficus benghalensis.

 

 

Figure5: 5,7Dimethyl ether of leucopelar gonidin, 3-O-α-L rhamnoside

 

Figure 6: 5,7 Dimethyl leucocyanidin, 3-O-β-D galactosyl cellabioside

 

Pharmacological Properties of Ficus benghalensis:

Anti-oxidant effect:

Parameshwari et al. (2012) demonstrated that the methanolic extract of Ficus benghalensis protects against isoniazid and rifampicin-induced oxidative liver injury in rats as evidenced by significant reduction of isoniazid-rifampicin-induced elevation in the levels of serum diagnostic liver marker enzymes (SGPT, SGOT and ALP) and Thio-Barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level. Moreover, total protein and reduced glutathione levels were significantly (P<0.001) increased in treatment group. 16

 

Analgesic activity:

The analgesic activity of Stem bark extraction of Ficus benghalensis tested using acetic acid induced writhing model on rats, showed significant analgesic activity as demonstrated by Vishnu et al., in 2010. 17

 

Anti-inflammatory activity:

In a study conducted by PrathapKumar et al. in 2013 to determine the anti-inflammatory effect of methanolic extracts of the leaves of Ficus benghalensis which was evaluated in experimental animals indicated that the methanolic extract of Ficus benghalensis exhibited significant activity in the treatment of inflammation compared with the standard drug diclofenac, in formalin-induced hind paw edema model in rats as measured using plethysmometrically. 18

 

In trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) induced Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) another inflammatory disease model in rats, aqueous extract of Ficus benghalensis bark exhibited a significant protective effect on the colonic tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and nitric oxide (NO) levels and percent mast cell protection in mesentery as compared to prednisolone in rats. 19

 

Anti-diarrhoeal and Anthelmintic activity:

Mukherjee et al. in 1998 reported that the ethanol extract of the hanging roots of F. benghalensis, when administered per orally reduced diarrhoea by inhibiting gastrointestinal motility and PGE2-induced entero-pooling against castor oil induced diarrhoea. 20In addition the methanolic, aqueous, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts of the roots of Ficus benghalensis have potent anthelmintic activity when compared with conventionally used drug, as they were found not only to paralyze but also to kill the worms.7

 

Anti-stress, Anti-allergic and Immunomodulatory activity:

Various extracts (aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts) of Ficus benghalensis bark screened for their anti-allergic and anti-stress potential in asthma model by milk-induced leucocytosis and milk induced eosinophilia, demonstrated significant decrease in leucocytes and eosinophils in the order given while petroleum ether and chloroform extracts were inactive. This shows the application of polar constituents of Ficus benghalensis bark as anti-stress and anti-allergic agents in asthma. 21

 

The Immunomodulatory activity of the aerial roots of Ficus benghalensis for its effect on both specific and non-specific immunity and successfully proved that the extract exhibited a significant increase in percentage phagocytosis by human neutrophils in the in vitro tests. In an in-vivo study, the extract was found to exhibit a dose related increase in the hypersensitivity reaction, to the Sheep RBC antigen. It also resulted in a significant increase in the antibody titer value, to Sheep RBC. 22

 

Anticancer and anti-bacterial activity:

The fruit extract of Ficus benghalensis has been documented for its anti-cancer activity in the potato disc bioassay, but none of the tested extracts showed any marked inhibition on the uptake of calcium in to rat pituitary cell-line GH4C1.The extracts of the four tested Ficus species had significant antibacterial activity, but no antifungal activity. The results of this preliminary investigation support the traditional use of these plants in folk medicine for respiratory disorders and certain skin diseases. 23

 

Anti-diabetic and Ameliorative effect:

The aqueous extract of Ficus benghalensis bark at a dose of 500mg/kg/day exhibited a significant anti-diabetic and ameliorative activity as evidenced by histological studies in normal and Ficus benghalensis treated streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. 24 In addition leucocyanidin derivative isolated from Ficus benghalensis was proved to have significant Insulin sparing action. 14

 

CONCLUSION:

The strategic favor of the medicinal virtues of plants requires systematic and scientific approach in exploration of the chemical constituents of plants, the biological evaluation of plant products and clinical trial. In this regard, evaluation of plants based on their use in the ethnomedicine favors bringing into light the numerous medicinal properties of plant origin which forms the basis for developing new lead molecules. 25About 7.5% of Indian population is constituted by tribal people and their knowledge on medicinal plants is a neglected global asset. The present review reveals that the Ficus contains several phytoconstituents such as rutin, friedelin, taraxosterol, lupeol, β-sisterol, quercetin-3-galactoside and posses various pharmacological properties as discussed in the paper. However, it is imperative that  more clinical and pharmacological studies are conducted to investigate the unexploited potential of Ficus .

 

REFERENCES:

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5.        Subramanian PM and Misra GS. Chemical constituents of Ficus benghalensis. Indian Journal of Chemistry. 15; 1997: 762.

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10.     Geetha BS, Mathew BC and Augusti KT. Hypoglycemic effects of Leucodelphinidin derivati. ve isolated from Ficus benghalensis. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 38(3); 1994: 220.

11.     Augusti KT. Hypoglycemic action of bengalenoside: A glucoside isolated from Ficus Benghalensis Linn, in normal and Alloxan diabetic rabbits. Indian

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15.     Kumar RV and Augusti KT. Insulin sparing action of a leucocynidin derivative isolated from Ficus benghalensis Linn. Indian Journal Biochemistry and Biophysics. 31; 1994: 73-76.

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17.     Parameshwari SA, Mohamed Saleem TS,  Chandrasekar KB and Madhusudhana C. Protective role of Ficus benghalensis against isoniazid-rifampicin induced oxidative liver injury in rat. Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy. 22(3); 2012: 604-610.

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19.     Prathap Kumar, K. Pharmacological and toxicological studies of Ficus  leaves in rats. M.V.Sc thesis, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) Bidar. 2013.

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21.     Mukherjee PK, Kakali ST, Murugesan SC, Mandal MP and Saha BP. Screening of anti-diarrhoeal profile of some plant extracts of a specific region of West Bengal, India. Journal  Ethnopharmacology. 60; 1998: 85–89.

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Received on 20.11.2014          Accepted on 18.12.2014        

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Asian J. Pharm. Res. 4(4): Oct.-Dec.2014; Page 201-204