Ficus deltoidea explained

Ficus deltoidea, commonly known as mistletoe fig (mas cotek in Malaysian, tabat barito in Indonesia, or สาลิกาลิ้นทอง in Thai) is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Southeast Asia, and widely naturalized in other parts of the world.

Description

F. deltoidea is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing up to about 2 m tall, with thick leaves that are deltoid in shape, rounded at the apex and tapering at the base.[1] The upper surface of the plants' leaves are dark, shining green, while the lower surface is golden yellow with black spots. Male and female plants are physically distinctive, with the leaves of female plants being big and round, while the leaves of male plants are small, round and long. F. deltoidea can grow on the land (terrestrial plant), on the stone (Lithophyte) or attach to other plants as epiphyte.[2] [3] The plant grows wild in eastern peninsular Malaysia (Kelantan, Terengganu), Sumatra, Java, Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan), Celebes, Palawan and in Mindanao and is used by the traditional medical practitioners in these regions.

Taxonomy

C.C. Berg in his publication in Blumea classified F. deltoidea into two sub species based on difference of the leaf shape, subsp. deltoidea and subsp. motleyana (Miq.) C.C. Berg.[4] F. deltoidea subsp. deltoidea has board leaf shape variation from obtriangular to linear-oblanceolate, include apex and based on lamina variation in the common deltoid shape with furcate midrib. F. deltoidea subsp. motleyana has oblong to lanceolate lamina shape with pinnately vein.[5] The first subspecies with deltoid leaf shape is a common taxa to be used as medicinal plant. Lee et al. (2016) success to conduct molecular analysis with cpDNA and nSSR marker system for F. deltoidea from Peninsular Malaysia and the result support taxonomy classification based on morphological traits.[6]

Uses

Ficus deltoidea is used as an ornamental plant, requiring the protection of glass during winter months, in zones where the temperature falls below 10C. It requires a sunny, sheltered, south- or east-facing position. In the UK it is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7] [8]

The plant is used in traditional medicine in eastern Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, where its leaves, fruits, stems and roots are believed to have healing properties. Among the traditional uses attributed to this plant include menstrual cycle regulation; the treatment of post-partum depression, lung diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and skin problems; as well as an aphrodisiac for both men and women.[9]

F. deltoidea has been commercialized in the region of its origin, where it is used as an ingredient in herbal drinks, coffee drinks, supplements, and massage oils.

Chemical composition

F. deltoidea has been reported to possess triterpenoids, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and natural phenols (flavonoids and proanthocyanins, a type of condensed tannins).[10] [11] [12] [13] Leaf extract treatment to mice indicated decrease of blood sugar level into 32.54% compared to mice without treatment[14]

This plant is not only capable of reducing blood glucose but also improving tissues function, structure and behavioral performance of diabetic rats[15] The percentage of circulating n-3 PUFA, in particular, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also showed a significant increase following F. deltoidea intake[16] Treatment with F. deltoidea for eight weeks has been shown to prevent diabetic osteoporosis by increasing osteogenesis and reducing bone oxidative stress[17] F. deltoidea leaves can also improve hormonal balance among letrozole induced polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) rats[18] [19] F. deltoidea also increases serum levels of testosterone, sperm count and motility in diabetic rats [20]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hassan, W. E. . 2006 . Healing Herbs of Malaysia . Kuala Lumpur: Federal Land Development Agency . 9789839954425.
  2. Agustina . A. . Zuhud . E.A.M. . Darusman . L.K. . April 2015 . Characteristics of Tabat Barito (Ficus deltoidea Jack) Microhabitat on Their Host Plants . Jurnal Penelitian Hutan Dan Konservasi Alam . 12 . 1 . 89–104 . 10.20886/jphka.2015.12.1.89-104 . free .
  3. Corner . E.J.H. . 86644820 . November 20, 1969 . The Complex of Ficus deltoidea; A Recent Invasion of the Sunda Shelf . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences . 256 . 808 . 281–317 . 2416885 . 10.1098/rstb.1969.0043. free .
  4. Berg . C.C. . November 28, 2003 . Flora Malesiana precursor for the treatment of Moraceae 3: Ficus subgenus Ficus . Blumea . 48 . 3 . 529–550 . 10.3767/000651903X489537 . Naturalis.
  5. Book: Flora Malesiana Series I (Seed Plants) Volume 17 Part 2: Moraceae-Ficus . Berg . C.C. . Corner . E.J.H. . National Herbarium of the Netherlands . 2005 . 978-9071236617 . Leiden . 90–94.
  6. Tnah . Lee Hong . Lee . Soon Leong . Tan . Ai Lee . Lee . Chai Ting . Ng . Kevin Kit Siong . Ng . Chin Hong . Intraspecific classification of Ficus deltoidea Jack subsp. deltoidea (Moraceae) in Peninsular Malaysia based on morphological and molecular variations . Biochemical Systematics and Ecology . 67 . 119–128 . 10.1016/j.bse.2016.06.001 . 2016.
  7. Web site: Ficus deltoides . www.rhs.org . Royal Horticultural Society . 27 February 2020.
  8. Web site: AGM Plants - Ornamental . November 2018 . 1009 . Royal Horticultural Society . www.rhs.org . 27 February 2020.
  9. Book: Bodeker, G. . Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan . 2009 . Didier Millet . Kuala Lumpur . 978-981-4217-91-0.
  10. Elham . Farsi . 2014 . Preclinical evaluation of antidiabetic properties of Ficus deltoidea . Lambert Academic Publishing .
  11. Sulaiman . M.R. . Hussain . M.K. . Zakaria . Z.A. . Somchit . M.N. . Moin . S. . Mohamad . A.S. . Israf . D.A. . Evaluation of the antinociceptive activity of Ficus deltoidea aqueous extract . Fitoterapia . 79 . 7–8 . 557–561 . 10.1016/j.fitote.2008.06.005 . 18672036 . 2008.
  12. Abdullah . Z. . Hussain . K. . Zhari . I. . Rasadah . M.A. . December 2009 . Anti-inflammatory Activity of Standardised Extracts of Leaves of Three Varieties of Ficus deltoidea . International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research . 1 . 3 . 100–105 . Impact Factor.
  13. Choo . C.Y. . Sulong . N.Y. . Man . F. . Wong . T.W. . Vitexin and isovitexin from the Leaves of Ficus deltoidea with in-vivo α-glucosidase inhibition . Journal of Ethnopharmacology . 142 . 3 . 776–781 . 10.1016/j.jep.2012.05.062 . 22683902 . 2012.
  14. Cahyanto . H.A. . Supriyatna . N. . 2013 . Anti-diabetic Activity of Tabat Barito Leafs (Ficus deltoidea, Jack) Extract in Rats . Biopropal . Balai Riset dan Standardisasi Industri Pontianak . 4 . 1 . 17–21 . Neliti.
  15. Nurdiana . Samsulrizal . Goh . Yong Meng . Ahmad . Hafandi . Md Dom . Sulaiman . Azmi . Nur Syimal’ain . Noor Mohamad Zin . Noor Syaffinaz . Ebrahimi . Mahdi . Changes in pancreatic histology, insulin secretion and oxidative status in diabetic rats following treatment with Ficus deltoidea and vitexin . BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine . 17 . 1 . 290 . 10.1186/s12906-017-1762-8 . 2017. 28576138 . 5457635 . free .
  16. Nurdiana . Samsulrizal . Goh . Yong Meng . Ahmad . Hafandi . Md Dom . Sulaiman . Azmi . Nur Syimal’ain . Noor Mohamad Zin . Noor Syaffinaz . Ebrahimi . Mahdi . Improvement of spatial learning and memory, cortical gyrification patterns and brain oxidative stress markers in diabetic rats treated with Ficus deltoidea leaf extract and vitexin . J Tradit Complement Med.. 8 . 1 . 190–202 . 10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.05.006. 2018. 29322009 . 5755998 .
  17. Nurdiana . Samsulrizal . Goh . Yong Meng . Ahmad . Hafandi . Md Dom . Sulaiman . Azmi . Nur Syimal’ain . Noor Mohamad Zin . Noor Syaffinaz . Ebrahimi . Mahdi . Ficus deltoidea promotes bone formation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats . Pharm. Biol.. 59 . 1 . 66–73 . 10.1080/13880209.2020.1865411. 2021. 33399485 . 7801090 .
  18. Suhaimi . Nur Ajeerah . Hashim . Nooraain . Samsulrizal . Nurdiana . Ficus deltoidea ethanolic leaves extract improves hormonal balance among letrozole induced polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) rats . Malaysian Applied Biology . 46 . 1 . 147–152. 2017.
  19. Haslan . Muhammad Alif . Samsulrizal . Nurdiana . Hashim . Nooraain . Noor Mohamad Zin . Noor Syaffinaz . H.Shirazi . Farshad . Goh . Yong Meng . Ficus deltoidea ameliorates biochemical, hormonal, and histomorphometric changes in letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome rats . BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies . 21 . 1 . 291 . 10.1186/s12906-021-03452-6 . 2021 . 34844580 . 8628419 . free .
  20. Nurdiana . Samsulrizal . AZ . Mohd Idzham . A . Zanariah . MN . Mohd Luqman Hakim . Effect of Ficus deltoidea leaves extracts on blood clotting, sperm quality and testosterone level in alloxan-induced male diabetic rats . International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research . 13. 1 . 111–114. 2013.

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