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Botany
Erect, small tree, growing
3-8 meters high, smooth, with hairy young shoots. Leaves are smooth,
shining, oblong-ovate to elliptic-ovate, 10-20 cm long, with tips tapering
to a sharp point, and the bases pointed. Receptacles are shortly peduncled,
axillary, solitary, ridged or angled, 1.5 - 2 cm in diameter.
Distribution
In thickets, at low and
medium altitudes, throughout the Philippines.
Part utilized
Root, leaves, latex.
Constituents
and properties
• Phytochemical
study isolated isoflavone ficusin A and ficusin B from the root bark.
source
Uses
Folkloric
· Decoction
of roots as diuretic.
· Poultice of roots for boils.
· Fresh leaves are sudorific; bruised with oil, used for headaches.
· Externally, antirheumatic.
· Latex used for herpes.
· Used by the Ifugaos for diarrhea, cough, malaria and stomach
problems.
Studies
• Phytochemicals / Cytotoxicity: (1)
Study yielded six known phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids, eight new
alkaloids – ficuseptines B-D, 10R,13aR-tylophorine N-oxide, 10R,13aR-tylocrebrine
N-oxide among others – from the methanol extract of stems of Ficus
septica. Cytotoxicity of the new alkaloids were assessed in vitro using
HONE-1 and NUGC cell lines. (2) Study yielded phenanthroindolizidine
N-oxide, ficuseptine-A together with 18 known compounds from the leaves
of FS. Some of the compounds exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against
two human cancer cell lines.
• Mucarinic Receptor
Activity: Malaysian study of 224 plant extracts from
50 plant families for muscarinic receptor binding activity showed the
greatest inhibition, and with other extracts that exhibited significant
muscarinic properties were suggested to be worthy of further investigation.
• Anti-inflammatory:
Study examined the molecular mechanisms for the
anti-inflammatory activity of phenanthroindolizidine alklaoids isolated
from the leaves of Ficus septica. Study suggests that it exerts its
anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting expression of the proinflammatory
factors and related signaling pathways.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
