Ficus religiosa-an Important Medicinal Plant: A Review of Its Folklore Medicine and Traditional Uses

Goli Venkateshwarlu, Ragya Eslavath, Anasuri Santhosh, Gutha Suma, D. Ramakka,

S. Sankirthi

Venkateshwara Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cherlapally, Nalgonda, A.P

*Corresponding Author E-mail: venkipharma75@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Ancient days peoples are purely depends on herbal drugs. Why because at that time allopathic drugs are not available for peoples. Now a days both ayurveda and allopathic drugs are used. some chronic diseases are completely not eradicated by allopathic drugs. For this reason ayurvedic drugs are more preffered than allopathic drugs. In India 3000 plants used for the medicinal value. In general 6000 medicinal plants in India are in use in traditional, folklore and used as a herbal medicine. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review in ayurveda in the pharmacological aspects of Ficus religiosa. This plant is available in entire India and traditional system has been reported to posses various activities like fertility agent, feet cracks, eye diseases, heart strengthen, anti-inflammatory, antileprosy, spleen and hepatoprotective activity, hicups, antiasthamatic agent, antiemetic and improve the semen secretion etc .

KEYWORDS: medicinal herbs, Ficus religiosa, pharmacological activities.

INTRODUCTION:

Ficus religiosa (L.) is a large perennial tree, glabrous when young, found throughout the plains of India upto 170m altitude in the Himalayas, largely planted as an avenue and roadside tree especially near temples.[1] It is a popular bodhi tree and has got mythological, religious, and medicinal importance in Indian culture since times immemorial.[2] The plants have been used in inflammatory diseases. Bark is specifically used in the treatment of severe emetic conditions, hiccups. Ficus fruits churna peculiarly useful for the asthma and its related disorders and also improves the body strength and boosting the immune system. Ficus fruits, roots are taken in equal portions and boiled up to the half of the boiling portion after that cool down the remaining extract to that extract add little amount of honey and sugar and finally that is transferred in to the container and preserve it, such extract is daily one spoon taken orally means produce the over release of semen[3-5]. The bark is soaked in water in water up to 24 hours and filtered extract is daily consumed orally by means eliminates the skin diseases. Fruit churnas boiled with milk and that rasayan daily taken orally one spoon morning and evenings then it strengthen the heart.

Along with ficus fruits churna mixed with warm milk and consumed daily morning and then it produce the fertility and at the same time it prevent eye diseases disorders. Fruits are used as laxatives,[6,7] latex is used as a tonic. Traditionally the bark is used as an antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antiviral, astringent, antidiarrhoeal, in the treatment of gonorrhea. The leaves reported antivenom activity and regulates the menstrual cycle.[8,9,10]. The plants have been used in traditional Indian medicine for various range of ailments.

CONCLUSION:

Medicinal plants are the local heritage with the global importance. World is endowed with a rich wealth of medicinal plants. Medicinal plants also play an important role in the lives of rural people, particularly in remote parts of developing countries with few health facilities. The present review reveals that F. religiosa The plant has been studied for their various pharmacological activities like fertility agent, eye disease, antiinflamatory activity, immunomodulatory, spleen and liver disorders, antiasthamatic agent, anthelmintics, and antileprotic agent.

REFERENCES:

1. Ministry of health and family welfare, department of Ayush. New Delhi: 2001. Ayurvedic pharmacopeia of India; pp. 17–20.

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4. Chopra RN, Chopra S. Indigenous Drugs of India. 2nd ed. Calcutta: Dhur and Sons; 1958. p. 606.

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6. Shah NC. Herbal folk medicines in northern India. J Ethnopharmacol. 1982;6:293–301

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9. Sajwan VS, Nilima H, Paliwal GS. Developmental anatomy of the leaf of L.Ficus religiosa. Ann Bot. 1977;41:293–302.

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Received on 25.03.2014 Accepted on 30.03.2014

Asian J. Res. Pharm. Sci. 4(1): Jan.-Mar. 2014; Page 26-27