Abstract

Ficus bengalensis Linn (Moraceae) is a plant that is widely distributed in India. To the Hindus it is sacred and worshipped with special prayers on Vata Sawitri day. In traditional medicines it is used for healing obstruction of urine flow, diarrhea, dysentery, conjunctivitis, scabies and diabetes. So it has been a subject of chemical, biological and pharmacological interest since a long time. Its chemical investigation shows that it contains Bengalenosides that is, glycosides or flavonoids, ketones, flavonols, pentacyclic triterpenes and triterpenoids, coumarin, sterols, tiglic acid esters, alpha-D-glucose and meso-inositol. The aqueous or alcoholic extracts of various parts of this plant were found to have various pharmacological activities for example, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antiallergic and anti-tumor activity. In this review, we have investigated the pharmacological activities of F. bengalensis Linn (Moraceae) and discussed its various chemical constituents that may be responsible for these multi-aspect activity spectrums of this plant.

Key words: Ficus bengalensis, moracceae, phytochemical composition, pharmacoligical activity.

Abbreviation

FBA, Ficus bengalensis agglutinin; SDS−PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; α-AA, α-amyrin acetate; MEFB, methanolic extract ofFicus bengalensis; MPO, myeloperoxidase; MDA, malondialdehyde; SRBC, sheep red blood cells; ROS, reactive oxygen species; AODS, antioxidant defense system; SOD, superoxide dismutase; LCAT, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase; STZ, streptozotocin.