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PubMed1993

Antidiabetic effects of a glycoside of leucopelargonidin isolated from Ficus bengalensis Linn.

Glycoside of leucopelargonidin isolated from the bark of F. bengalensis demonstrated significant hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and serum insulin raising effects in moderately diabetic rats with close similarities to the effects of a minimal dose of glibenclamide. The main difference observed in their effects was that the former significantly enhanced the fecal excretion of sterols and bile acids while the later has no such action even though both controlled hypercholesteremia.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Fig-eating by vertebrate frugivores: a global review.

The consumption of figs (the fruit of Ficus spp.: Moraceae) by vertebrates is reviewed using data from the literature, unpublished accounts and new field data from Borneo and Hong Kong. Records of frugivory from over 75 countries are presented for 260 Ficus species (approximately 30% of described species). Explanations are presented for geographical and taxonomic gaps in the otherwise extensive literature. In addition to a small number of reptiles and fishes, 1274 bird and mammal species in 523 genera and 92 families are known to eat figs. In terms of the number of species and genera of fig-eaters and the number of fig species eaten we identify the avian families interacting most with Ficus to be Columbidae, Psittacidae, Pycnonotidae, Bucerotidae, Sturnidae and Lybiidae. Among mammals, the major fig-eating families are Pteropodidae, Cercopithecidae, Sciuridae, Phyllostomidae and Cebidae. We assess the role these and other frugivores play in Ficus seed dispersal and identify fig-specialists. In most, but not all, cases fig specialists provide effective seed dispersal services to the Ficus species on which they feed. The diversity of fig-eaters is explained with respect to fig design and nutrient content, phenology of fig ripening and the diversity of fig presentation. Whilst at a gross level there exists considerable overlap between birds, arboreal mammals and fruit bats with regard to the fig species they consume, closer analysis, based on evidence from across the tropics, suggests that discrete guilds of Ficus species differentially attract subsets of sympatric frugivore communities. This dispersal guild structure is determined by interspecific differences in fig design and presentation. Throughout our examination of the fig-frugivore interaction we consider phylogenetic factors and make comparisons between large-scale biogeographical regions. Our dataset supports previous claims that Ficus is the most important plant genus for tropical frugivores. We explore the concept of figs as keystone resources and suggest criteria for future investigations of their dietary importance. Finally, fully referenced lists of frugivores recorded at each Ficus species and of Ficus species in the diet of each frugivore are presented as online appendices. In situations where ecological information is incomplete or its retrieval is impractical, this valuable resource will assist conservationists in evaluating the role of figs or their frugivores in tropical forest sites.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in fig leaves in response to ambient air pollution in a subtropical city.

Urban air pollution is a serious problem in both developing and developed countries, and antioxidant enzyme activities in plants have been suggested as a useful bioindicator of air pollution. In this study, the seasonal and spatial variability of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities were measured in leaves of Ficus microcarpa at eight sampling sites in the Taipei metropolitan area and one background site in rural area at each month for a year. The spatial pattern of peroxidase activity in figs collected from the Taipei metropolitan area was similar to the spatial pattern of O3 concentration in the Taipei metropolitan area. The peroxidase activities of Ficus microcarpa were significantly higher at sampling sites from the outer zone of the metropolitan area than those from the inner zone of the metropolitan area in spring and summer. On the other hand, the spatial pattern of superoxide dismutase activity in fig leaves did not show significant differences between the inner and outer zones of the Taipei metropolitan area. In addition, peroxidase activities, but not superoxide dismutase activities, of Ficus microcarpa were significantly higher in sites with high traffic density than those in low traffic density sites. Even though peroxidase activities in Ficus microcarpa tended to be higher in high traffic density sites or some sites with high ozone concentration, site-specific changes of peroxidase activity in Ficus microcarpa due to O3 pollution were not clearly observed in this study. Based on these results, neither peroxidase nor superoxide dismutase in Ficus microcarpa is a sensitive bioindicator for O3 pollution, although peroxidase shows some potential to be used as a general bioindicator of air quality.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1999

Loss of water transport capacity due to xylem cavitation in roots of two CAM succulents.

Loss of axial hydraulic conductance as a result of xylem cavitation was examined for roots of the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) succulents Agave deserti and Opuntia ficus-indica. Vulnerability to cavitation was not correlated with either root size or vessel diameter. Agave deserti had a mean cavitation pressure of -0.93 ± 0.08 MPa by both an air-injection and a centrifugal method compared to -0.70 ± 0.02 MPa by the centrifugal method for O. ficus-indica, reflecting the greater tolerance of the former species to low water potentials in its native habitat. Substantial xylem cavitation would occur at a soil water potential of -0.25 MPa, resulting in a predicted 22% loss of conductance for A. deserti and 32% for O. ficus-indica. For an extended drought of 3 mo, further cavitation could cause a 69% loss of conductance for A. deserti and 62% for O. ficus-indica. A model of axial hydraulic flow based upon the cavitation response of these species predicted that water uptake rates are far below the maximum possible, owing to the high root water potentials of these desert succulents. Despite various shoot adaptations to aridity, roots of A. deserti and O. ficus-indica are highly vulnerable to cavitation, which partially limits water uptake in a wet soil but helps reduce water loss to a drying soil.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Exogenous Abscisic Acid Mimics Cold Acclimation for Cacti Differing in Freezing Tolerance.

The responses to low temperature were determined for two species of cacti sensitive to freezing, Ferocactus viridescens and Opuntia ficus-indica, and a cold hardy species, Opuntia fragilis. Fourteen days after shifting the plants from day/night air temperatures of 30/20[deg]C to 10/0[deg]C, the chlorenchyma water content decreased only for O. fragilis. This temperature shift caused the freezing tolerance (measured by vital stain uptake) of chlorenchyma cells to be enhanced only by about 2.0[deg]C for F. viridescens and O. ficus-indica but by 14.6[deg]C for O. fragilis. Also, maintenance of high water content by injection of water into plants at 10/0[deg]C reversed the acclimation. The endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) concentration was below 0.4 pmol g-1 fresh weight at 30/20[deg]C, but after 14 d at 10/0[deg]C it increased to 84 pmol g-1 fresh weight for O. ficus-indica and to 49 pmol g-1 fresh weight for O. fragilis. Four days after plants were sprayed with 7.5 x 10-5 M ABA at 30/20[deg]C, freezing tolerance was enhanced by 0.5[deg]C for F. viridescens, 4.1[deg]C for O. ficus-indica, and 23.4[deg]C for O. fragilis. Moreover, the time course for the change in freezing tolerance over 14 d was similar for plants shifted to low temperatures as for plants treated with exogenous ABA at moderate temperatures. Decreases in plant water content and increases in ABA concentration may be important for low-temperature acclimation by cacti, especially O. fragilis, which is widely distributed in Canada and the United States.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Oviposition strategies, host coercion and the stable exploitation of figs by wasps.

A classic example of a mutualism is the one between fig plants (Ficus) and their specialized and obligate pollinating wasps. The wasps deposit eggs in fig ovules, which the larvae then consume. Because the wasps derive their fitness only from consumed seeds, this mutualism can persist only if the wasps are prevented from laying eggs in all ovules. The search for mechanisms that can limit oviposition and stabilize the wasp-seed conflict has spanned more than three decades. We use a simple foraging model, parameterized with data from two Ficus species, to show how fig morphology reduces oviposition rates and helps to resolve the wasp-seed conflict. We also propose additional mechanisms, based on known aspects of fig biology, which can prevent even large numbers of wasps from ovipositing in all ovules. It has been suggested that in mutualistic symbioses, the partner that controls the physical resources, in this case Ficus, ultimately controls the rate at which hosts are converted to visitors, regardless of relative evolutionary rates. Our approach provides a mechanistic implementation of this idea, with potential applications to other mutualisms and to theories of virulence.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

A study on composition and hypolipidemic effect of dietary fibre from some plant foods.

Dietary fibre content of foods namely, khejri beans (Prsopsis cinceria), peepalbanti (Ficus religiosa), barbanti (Ficus bengalensis), gullar (Ficus glomerata) and teent (Capparis decidua) varied from 38.5% to 55.7%. Cellulose and lignin were predominating constituents in peepalbanti, barbanti and gullar; hemicellulose in teent and pectin in khejri beans. Fibre from all these plant foods, fed at the 10% dietary level to rats, induced a greater resistance to hyperlipidemia than cellulose. Teent had the most pronounced hypocholesterolemic effect which appeared to operate through increased fecal excretion of cholesterol as well as bile acids. Dietary hemicellulose showed a significant negative correlation with serum and liver cholesterol and a significant positive correlation with fecal bile acids. The dietary fibre influenced total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids of the liver to varying extents.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Effect of feeding some plant foods as source of dietary fibre on biological utilisation of diet in rats.

Isoproteinous diets containing 1% cholesterol and 10% fibre derived from plant foods namely, peepalbanti (Ficus religiosa), barbanti (Ficus bengalensis), gullar (Ficus glomerata), teent (Capparis decidua) and khejri beans (Prsopsis cineria) or pure cellulose, were fed to rats for 40 days. Effect of incorporation of these whole plant parts on feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency ratio (FER), dry matter digestibility (DMD) and true protein digestibility (TPD) in weanling rats was studied. Their inclusion did not affect the weight gain significantly whereas all other parameters were influenced to a varying extent. Foods rich in lignin had relatively lower FER, DMD and TPD whereas cellulose and pectin rich foods had higher DMD and TPD.

Animals↗