Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Medicinal Significance of Ficus

Ficus , a genus of plant family Moraceae , includes about 850 species. Most of the species of Ficus are used as a source of nutrition for humans. The roots, aerial roots, stem, bark, leaves, latex, fruit, and pulp of the Ficus plants are medicinally important due to the presence of a variety of bioactive phytochemical compounds, such as polyphenols, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, flavonols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, glycosides, polysaccharides, reducing compounds, and vitamins K, E, and C. Most of these phytochemical compounds possess strong antioxidant potential in terms of metal chelating, metal reducing, lipid reducing, and free radical scavenging capacities, which may be helpful in reducing the oxidative stress in the biological systems. On account of their high phytochemical content and strong antioxidant potential, these plants show several biological activities including antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and renal-protective, and anticancer activities. These plants have been found to be effective in the treatment of diabetes, stomachache, piles, skin diseases, inflammation, and cancer.


Introduction
Ficus is a genus of family Moraceae and consists of about 850 species. About 200 different varieties of Ficus are present as woody trees, shrubs and vines in the forests of tropical and subtropical regions [1]. About 500 species of Ficus are found in the region of Asia and Australia [2]. Some species of Ficus are also grown as indoor as well as outdoor ornamental plants. Ficus species are rich in nutritional components and used as a source food in Egypt, India, south China, Turkey and Malaysia. The plants of Ficus species are well known in the field of traditional medicine. Ficus species have been found to be rich source of phenolic acid and flavonoids which make them able to protect against disorders of oxidative stress [3]. Extract of these plants have been reported to be effective in the treatment of diabetes, stomachache, piles, ulcer, dysentery, inflammation, oxidative stress and cancer [4]. Ethno-medicinal uses of Ficus plants have been also supported by their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities [5].
Ficus plants are among the earliest cultivated fruit and ornamental tree which attract birds and mammals. Ficus species, such as, Ficus carica, Ficus religiosa, Ficus benghalensis and Ficus racemosa are the most important species of this genus as a spiritual, religious and historical plants to be used as folk medicine to treat various

Phytochemicals of Ficus species
Phytochemicals are the bioactive components of plants having great importance in pharmaceutical and medicinal field. The genus Ficus consist of a variety   [23]. The phytochemical quality of various parts of some of the species of Ficus is presented in Table 1. It is reported that the roots, stem bark or wood, branches, fruit pulp, peel, leaves, and seeds of different species of Ficus plant contain the flavonoids and phenolic compounds as major phytochemical components along with polyphenol, polysterols and triterpenoids. The phytochemical content of various parts of some of the species of Ficus in terms of total phenolic, flavonoids, flavonols, ascorbic acid, alkaloids, saponins and anthocyanins contents in different solvents is presented in Table 2. The leaves and fruit pulp of various species of Ficus have been found to show relatively higher concentration of phenolic components due to which these parts comparatively have greater pharmacological as well as medicinal usage.

Antioxidant composition
Antioxidants are the substances which can scavenge free radicals and reduce the oxidative stress in the living and nonliving systems. The antioxidants possess electron donating ability and inhibit the free radical-mediated oxidative reactions by various mechanisms, such as, hydrogen donation, metal chelation, metal and lipid reduction, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and free radical inhibition [56][57][58][59][60]. Free radicals are the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species which are produced during various biochemical reactions particularly redox reactions. If not controlled properly, these free radicals may initiate the chain reactions in the biomolecules particularly the lipids and protein, cause the oxidative stress, and finally lead to the oxidative damage to the cell organelles, cells and tissues [24]. The oxidative damage to the cells and tissues may further lead to various health problems including cardiovascular, neurological, hepatic, and musculoskeletal abnormalities and aging. In nonliving system, the free radicals cause oxidative stress and rancidity in the food stuff for human [25]. The naturally occurring antioxidant compounds have been proved to be effective in preventing the oxidative damage to the living and nonliving systems [26]. These substances are either synthesized endogenously or taken from exogenous natural sources such as plants. The naturally occurring antioxidants include some enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and some non-enzymatic phytochemicals compounds including phenolic acids, polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and β-carotenes [27,28]. Some synthetic antioxidant compounds have been also reported to be effective against free radical-induced oxidative damage [29].
The antioxidant profile of various parts of Ficus species is presented in Table 3. Different parts of Ficus plants have been reported to showed antioxidant activity in terms of Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, lipid reducing activity, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and free radical scavenging capacity against 2,2-diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals in a dose dependent vstronger antioxidant activity due to relatively higher concentration of phenolic components [30].

Biological activities
On the basis of their phytochemical composition and antioxidant profile, Ficus species have been found to show several biological activities ( Table 4). The studied species of Ficus plants were found to possess anticancer, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, antitumor, antioxidant, anthelmintic, analgesic, antimicrobial activity, anti-parasitic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-ulcerogenic, mucoprotective, gastroprotective, antifungal, antiviral, antimalarial, and antiparasitic activities [43,69]. However, the antibacterial activity has been found to be more common in different species of Ficus.

Medicinal importance
Ficus species have been used as traditional medicines to cure diseases, such as, astringents carminatives, stomachic, vermicides, hypotensive, anthelmintic and anti-dysentery drugs [18]. Ficus species, such as, Ficus racemosa, F. glomerata, F. glumosa, F. carica, F. religiosa and F. benghalensis are known from ancient times as herbal medicines to treat diabetic disorders as regulating enzymatic activities, carbohydrates absorption rate, increasing insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, hepatic glycogen synthesis, peripheral glucose uptake and antioxidant status of body [19]. The extracts of these species also reduce oxidative stress by improving weight gain in diabetic male rats [20]. Aqueous bark extract of F. benghalensis have been found to be active in lowering the cholesterol level in hypercholesterolemic rats [14,15]. Methanolic extract of F. carica leaves prevent elevation of lipid peroxide in rats by acting as hepatoprotective agent [21]. Methanolic extracts of F. hispida roots exhibit anti ulcerogenic activity due to higher concentration of flavonoids in roots. Methanolic leaf extract of F. arnottiana exhibits both mucoprotective as well as gastric antisecretory activities due to antioxidant constituents [22,23].
Almost all of the Ficus species belonging to family Moraceae haven traditionally used as folk medicine to cure respiratory disorders and skin diseases. The roots of Ficus species are important to treat gout and gums diseases that have anthelmintic activity. Fruit of Ficus species, such as, F. carica, F. hispida, F. microcarpa and F. sycomorus has been found to be helpful improving digestion or treating vomiting. Dried powder of bark has importance to treat burns or Asthma [4]. F. benjamina exhibits antitumor activity or antibacterial activity but is unable to work on fungal disorders [13,14]. Leaves of F. religiosa exhibit hypotensive activity and help in treating the gastrointestinal problems [9,56,57]. Bark of F. religiosa shows hypoglycemic activity and is used against gonorrhea, bleeding, paralysis, diarrhea, bone fracture, antiseptic, astringent and antidote [58,59]. It has been also used against liver disorders, hemorrhoid, urinary tract infections and inflammatory conditions by different mechanisms [60].

Conclusion
All species of Ficus plant possess antioxidant potential due to higher concentration of phytochemical compounds. They have a valuable role in human nutrition or have a great medicinal importance due the presence of a variety of bioactive phytochemical compounds. The principal phytochemicals present in Ficus species are polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, glycosides, carotenoids, and some water-soluble vitamins. The presence of these phytochemicals makes Ficus a medicinal plant which shows various biological activities particularly the antioxidant activity. On the account of its high antioxidant potential, all parts of Ficus plant can be used for the management of oxidative stress and the treatment of various diseases.

Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflict of interest regarding this chapter.
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