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PubMed2004

Interspecific variation of plant traits associated with resistance to herbivory among four species of Ficus (moraceae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To understand the defensive characteristics of interspecies varieties and their responses to herbivory damage, four species of Ficus plants (Ficus altissima, F. auriculata, F. racemosa and F. hispida) were studied. They were similar in life form, but differed in successional stages. Of these, Ficus altissima is a late successional species, F. hispida is a typical pioneer and F. auriculata and F. racemosa are intermediate successional species. We addressed the following questions: (1) What is the difference in plant traits among the four species and are these traits associated with differences in herbivory damage levels? (2) What is the difference in the damage-induced changes among the four species? METHODS: Herbivory damage was measured in the field on randomly planted seedlings of the four species of the same age. Defences to herbivory were also tested by feeding leaves of the four species to larvae of Asota caricae in the laboratory. A total of 14 characters such as water content, thickness, toughness, pubescence density on both sides, leaf expansion time, lifetime and the contents of total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) were measured. Leaf calcium oxalate crystal (COC) density, total Ca and N content, leaf toughness and height were measured to investigate induced responses to artificial herbivory among the four species. KEY RESULTS: and conclusions Herbivory damage in the four studied species varied greatly. The pioneer species, F. hispida, suffered the most severe herbivory damage, while the late successional species, F. altissima, showed the least damage. A combination of several characteristics such as high in content of N, Ca and P and low in leaf toughness, lifetime and C : N ratio were associated with increased herbivore damage. The late successional species, F. altissima, might also incorporate induced defence strategies by means of an increase in leaf COC and toughness.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2026

Polyphenol-Rich Opuntia ficus-indica Cladodes: An Integrated Metabolomic, In Vivo and In Silico Study Supporting Their Hypolipidemic and Hepatoprotective Effects.

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and is closely associated with oxidative stress. Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) cladodes are recognized as a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their metabolic benefits remain incompletely understood. Objectives: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective potential of a polyphenol-rich O. ficus-indica cladode extract (OCE) using an integrated approach combining in vivo evaluation, untargeted metabolomics (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS), molecular docking, and ADMET prediction. Methods: Hyperlipidemic mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) were treated with OCE, while molecular docking was performed on ten major annotated phytochemicals against twelve key proteins involved in lipid metabolism and cholesterol homeostasis, including HMGCR, FAS, PPARα, PCSK9, and NPC1L1, using simvastatin as the reference compound. Results: OCE treatment significantly improved plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, improved glucose homeostasis, and markedly reduced hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, indicating attenuation of oxidative stress. Histopathological analysis further supported a pronounced hepatoprotective effect, with a substantial reduction in hepatic steatosis. Untargeted metabolomics enabled the annotation of 102 metabolites, putatively identifying piscidic acid as the predominant phenolic constituent together with a diverse profile of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Molecular docking supported the potential contribution of these phytochemicals to the regulation of lipid metabolism through favorable interactions with multiple therapeutic targets, while ADMET prediction suggested an overall favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicity profile despite the lower intestinal permeability predicted for glycosylated derivatives. Conclusions: Overall, these findings support O. ficus-indica cladodes as a promising source of dietary bioactive compounds with potential applications in the nutritional management and prevention of hyperlipidemia and related cardiometabolic disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Phylogenetic relationships of fig wasps pollinating functionally dioecious Ficus based on mitochondrial DNA sequences and morphology.

The obligate mutualism between pollinating fig wasps in the family Agaonidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) and Ficus species (Moraceae) is often regarded as an example of co-evolution but little is known about the history of the interaction, and understanding the origin of functionally dioecious fig pollination has been especially difficult. The phylogenetic relationships of fig wasps pollinating functionally dioecious Ficus were inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene sequences (mtDNA) and morphology. Separate and combined analyses indicated that the pollinators of functionally dioecious figs are not monophyletic. However, pollinator relationships were generally congruent with host phylogeny and support a revised classification of Ficus. Ancestral changes in pollinator ovipositor length also correlated with changes in fig breeding systems. In particular, the relative elongation of the ovipositor was associated with the repeated loss of functionally dioecious pollination. The concerted evolution of interacting morphologies may bias estimates of phylogeny based on female head characters, but homoplasy is not so strong in other morphological traits. The lesser phylogenetic utility of morphology than of mtDNA is not due to rampant convergence in morphology but rather to the greater number of potentially informative characters in DNA sequence data; patterns of nucleotide substitution also limit the utility of mtDNA findings. Nonetheless, inferring the ancestral associations of fig pollinators from the best-supported phylogeny provided strong evidence of host conservatism in this highly specialized mutualism.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[GC-MS analysis of volatile componments in root of Ficus hitra].

The volatile components in root of Ficus hitra Vahl were analyzed by GC-MS, the results suggested that the main volatile components in root of Ficus hitra Vahl were Hexadecanoic acid, Oleic acid, Linolic acid and Ethyl Acetate; its ether extract contains Isopsoralen and Bergapten. Coumarins should be one of the effective sections in root of Ficus hitra Vahl.

Coumarins↗
PubMed2004

[Studies on anti-HSV effect of Ficus carica leaves].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-HSV effect of the extract from the leaves of Ficos carica. METHODS: The effective ingredient was extracted from the leaves of Ficus carica, and the anti-virus effect was observed on Hep-2, BHK21 and PRK cells. RESULTS: The water extract from the leaves of Ficus carica possessed distinct anti-HSV-1 effect. The MTC was 0.5 mg/ml, TDO was 15 mg/ml, and TI was 30.0. It possessed low toxicity and directly killing-virus effect on HSV-1. CONCLUSIONS: The leaves of Ficus carica possess anti-HSV-1 effect, and their application on the area of medicine, food and drugs has expansive foreground.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. fruit juice protects liver from carbon tetrachloride-induced injury.

The protective effects of the juice of Opuntia ficus indica fruit (prickly pear) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity were examined in rats. The animals were treated orally with the juice (3 mL/rat) 2 h after administration of the hepatotoxic agent. Preventive effects were studied by giving the juice (3 mL/rat) for 9 consecutive days. On day 9 the rats received the hepatotoxic agent. Morphological and biochemical evaluations were carried out 24, 48 and 72 h after induction of the hepatic damage. Data show that O. ficus indica fruit juice administration exerts protective and curative effects against the CCl(4)-induced degenerative process in rat liver. Histology evaluation revealed a normal hepatic parenchyma at 48 h; the injury was fully restored after 72 h. Moreover, a significant reduction in CCl(4)-induced increase of GOT and GPT plasma levels is evident; these data are in agreement with the functional improvement of hepatocytes. O. ficus indica fruit juice contains many phenol compounds, ascorbic acid, betalains, betacyanins, and a flavonoid fraction, which consists mainly of rutin and isorhamnetin derivatives. Hepatoprotection may be related to the flavonoid fraction of the juice, but other compounds, such as vitamin C and betalains could, synergistically, counteract many degenerative processes by means of their antioxidant activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Molecular phylogeny of the Ceratosolen species pollinating Ficus of the subgenus Sycomorus sensu stricto: biogeographical history and origins of the species-specificity breakdown cases.

The 14 species of Ficus of the subgenus Sycomorus (Moraceae) are invariably pollinated by Ceratosolen species (Hym. Chalcidoidea), which in turn reproduce in the fig florets. They are distributed mostly in continental Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarene and Comoro Islands, but 1 species extends its geographical range all over the Oriental region. Fig-pollinator relationships are usually strictly species specific, but exceptions to the 'one-to-one' rule occur within the group we studied. In order to understand both the biogeographical history of the Ceratosolen species associated with Ficus of the subgenus Sycomorus and the origins of the specificity breakdown cases, we have used cytochrome b sequences to reconstruct a phylogeny of the fig wasps. The results show that the pollinators from the Malagasy region and those from continental Africa form two distinct clades, which probably diverged after the crossing of the Mozambique Channel by an ancestral population. The Oriental wasp species show strong affinities with the African species. The two species-specificity exceptions are due to different evolutionary events. The occurrence of the two West African pollinators associated with F. sur can be explained by successive speciation events of the mutualistic partner without plant radiation. In contrast, we hypothesize that C. galili shifted by horizontal transfer from an unknown, presumably extinct, Ficus species to F. sycomorus after this native Malagasy fig species colonized Africa.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Ficus benjamina allergy].

We report the case of a 48-year-old patient suffered from asthma and conjunctivitis caused by an immediate type allergy to weeping fig (Ficus benjamina). By RAST inhibition test we could demonstrate that IgE antibodies react with allergens of fig; however our patient tolerated figs in oral provocation test. Sensitization to latex proteins reported to be cross reactive to Ficus species was not found. Ficus benjamina allergens represent relevant indoor allergens. A standardized allergen extract for skin testing is not yet available. Allergen specific IgE is mostly found in patients with strongly positive prick test results using the native sap of the tree. In 12 of 64 latex allergic patients we found simultaneous sensitization to weeping fig, so that cros-sensitization has to been considered in patients with IgE-mediated sensitization to latex.

Asthma↗
PubMed2005

Opuntia ficus-indica attenuates neuronal injury in in vitro and in vivo models of cerebral ischemia.

We examined whether the methanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica (MEOF) has a neuroprotective action against N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-, kainate (KA)-, and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced neuronal injury in cultured mouse cortical cells. We also evaluated the protective effect of MEOF in the hippocampal CA1 region against neuronal damage evoked by global ischemia in gerbils. Treatment of neuronal cultures with MEOF (30, 300, and 1000 microg/ml) inhibited NMDA (25 microM)-, KA (30 microM)-, and OGD (50 min)-induced neurotoxicity dose-dependently. The butanol fraction of Opuntia ficus-indica (300 microg/ml) significantly reduced NMDA (20 microM)-induced delayed neurotoxicity by 27%. Gerbils were treated with MEOF every 24h for 3 days (0.1, 1.0, and 4.0 g/kg, p.o.) or for 4 weeks (0.1 and 1.0 g/kg, p.o.), and ischemic injury was induced after the last dose. Neuronal cell damage in the hippocampal CA1 region was evaluated quantitatively at 5 days after the ischemic injury. When gerbils were given doses of 4.0 g/kg (3 days) and 1.0 g/kg (4 weeks), the neuronal damage in the hippocampal region was reduced by 32 and 36%, respectively. These results suggest that the preventive administration of Opuntia ficus-indica extracts may be helpful in alleviating the excitotoxic neuronal damage induced by global ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Effect of hyaluronic acid and polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus indica (L.) cladodes on the metabolism of human chondrocyte cultures.

Conventional medications in articular disease are often effective for symptom relief, but they can also cause significant side effects and do not slow the progression of the disease. Several natural substances have been shown to be effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), and preliminary evidence suggests that some of these compounds may exert a favourable influence on the course of the disease. In this study, we assay the anti-inflammatory/chondroprotective effect of some lyophilised extracts obtained from Opuntia ficus indica (L.) cladodes and of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the production of key molecules released during chronic inflammatory events such as nitric oxide (NO), glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), prostaglandins (PGE(2)) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human chondrocyte culture, stimulated with proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Further the antioxidant effect of these extracts was evaluated in vitro employing the bleaching of the stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH test). All the extracts tested in this study showed an interesting profile in active compounds. Particularly some of these extracts were characterized by polyphenolic and polysaccharidic species. In vitro results pointed out that the extracts of Opuntia ficus indica cladodes were able to contrast the harmful effects of IL-1 beta. Our data showed the protective effect of the extracts of Opuntia ficus indica cladodes in cartilage alteration, which appears greater than that elicited by hyaluronic acid (HA) commonly employed as visco-supplementation in the treatment of joint diseases.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed1999

Anthelmintic activity of the latex of Ficus species.

The latex of some species of Ficus (Moraceae) has been traditionally used as vermifuge in Central and South America. It has been accepted that anthelmintic activity is due to a proteolytic fraction called ficin. In the present study, the anthelmintic activity of the latex of Ficus insipida Willd. and Ficus carica L. has been investigated in NIH mice naturally infected with Syphacia obvelata, Aspiculuris tetraptera and Vampirolepis nana. The latex of F. insipida, administered by intragastric route in doses of 4 ml/kg/day during three consecutive days, were effective in the removal of 38.6% of the total number of S. obvelata, being inexpressive in the removal of A. tetraptera (8.4%) and segments of V. nana (6.3%). The latex of F. carica, administered in doses of 3 ml/kg/day, during three consecutive days, was effective in the removal of S. obvelata (41.7%) and it did not produce significant elimination of A. tetraptera (2.6%) and V. nana (8.3%). The observed high acute toxicity with hemorrhagic enteritis, in addition to a weak anthelmintic efficacy, do not recommend the use of these lattices in traditional medicine.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Caseinolytic activity of fruit extract from Opuntia ficus-indica on bovine, caprine, and ovine sodium caseinates.

The rates and extents of hydrolysis of alpha(S)- and beta-caseins from bovine, caprine, and ovine sodium caseinates produced by an enzymatic extract of the fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica, (L.) Miller were evaluated and compared with those produced by a commercial animal rennet. A mechanistic model based on a pseudo-first-order enzymatic reaction, in the presence of first-order deactivation of the enzyme, was postulated and successfully fitted to the experimental data. The animal rennet exhibited higher enzymatic efficiency than the fruit extract, irrespective of the source (i.e., bovine, caprine, or ovine) and the type (i.e., alpha(S)- or beta-casein) of substrate. The enzymatic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) for alpha(S)-casein ranged from 72 to 220 and from 43 to 65 L g(-1) h(-1), and for beta-casein from 242 to 742 and from 55 to 164 L g(-1) h(-1), for the animal rennet and the enzymatic extract of O. ficus-indica, respectively. Finally, it was observed that beta-casein from caprine and ovine caseinates was degraded by O. ficus-indica faster than its alpha(S) counterpart, but the reverse was observed for bovine caseinate.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Carbon and water relations for developing fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller, including effects of drought and gibberellic acid.

Growth, gas exchange rates, and carbohydrate content were studied for developing fruits of the cultivated cactus Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller, including effects of drought and exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3). Fruit development required 110 d from the time of bud differentiation to ripening at 80 d after anthesis, when the fruit mass averaged 67 g. Stomatal conductance and net CO2 uptake rates for fruits were higher during the night; they were maximal at 7 d before anthesis and decreased as development progressed. Fruits undergoing drought, imposed by detaching terminal stems bearing fruits, were 50% smaller than the control at 80 d after anthesis and did not ripen. Fruits injected with 2 ml of 500 ppm GA3 were 30% smaller than the control at 80 d after anthesis; they contained a large proportion of aborted seeds that produced a weak sink signal for dry mass accumulation. Gas exchange was higher at 21 d after anthesis for fruits treated with GA3. Total soluble sugars represented 40% of the fruit's dry mass until 45 d after anthesis, when the sugar content rapidly increased, reaching 90% at 73 d after anthesis. Such an increase was not observed for fruits treated with GA3, and the sugar content for fruits undergoing drought remained low throughout development. Starch content increased for developing fruits of O. ficus-indica until 14 d after anthesis and, except for the fruits undergoing drought, decreased thereafter. Fruit development for O. ficus-indica is apparently regulated by water availability as well as hormonal signals originating both within and outside the fruit.

Carbon↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Modulation of cancer cell multidrug resistance by an extract of Ficus citrifolia.

Multidrug resistance due to P-glycoprotein is a serious impediment to successful chemotherapy of cancer. Previous studies have shown that natural compounds such as prenyl flavonoids are able to modulate the multidrug resistance phenotype of P-glycoprotein-positive cancer cells. A fraction from the dichloromethane extract of a common Guadalupe Ficus, Ficus citrifolia was studied for its direct interaction with the purified C-terminal cytosolic domain of P-glycoprotein, and for its induced accumulation and cytotoxicity of vinblastine and daunomycin in two model cell lines overexpressing P-glycoprotein, namely K562/R7 and MESSA/Dx5. The fraction bound with high affinity to P-glycoprotein C-terminal cytosolic domain and was as efficient as cyclosporin A to increase intracellular accumulation of daunomycin in K562/R7 leukemic cells. Moreover, the fraction markedly enhanced the cytotoxic effect of vinblastine on the growth of MESSA/Dx5 cells. These results suggest that Ficus citrifolia possesses important therapeutic potential for improving the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1997

[Allergy to Ficus benjamina: at the workplace and at home].

In four patients, two women aged 40 and 42 years and two men aged 49 and 37 years, type I allergy to Ficus benjamina was established. Two patients had been sensitized by contact with these pot plants at their homes. The other two patients were plant growers. F. benjamina is a non-flowering, currently very popular pot plant to be found in both private houses and public buildings. The symptoms comprise itching and swelling of the eyelids, tears, running nose, wheezing and dyspnoea. In one plant grower contact urticaria progressing to dermatitis of the hand was the main symptom. Only one patient had a clear-cut atopy. Both plant growers showed a cross-allergy to other Ficus species. Two patients had a cross-allergy to latex and the associated cluster of tropical fruit (banana, kiwi, avocado, and chestnut). Removal of the ficus plants from the homes and change to another crop or to another occupation completely resolved the complaints of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon.

The anthelmintic remedy oje, prepared latex of Ficus insipida, is still used by indigenous and local people in the Amazonian regions. However, overdosage leading to toxic reactions occurs despite the broadcasting of a clinically accepted dosage that is effective and safe. The intoxication of a 10-year-old girl in Pucallpa, who had received oje in a dose close to the recommended one, led us to study retrospectively the records of all hospitalized patients with toxic reactions to oje over a 12-year-period. The use of oje in and around Pucallpa was estimated. Most cases with toxic reactions, out of a total of 39 for the 12-year-period, were probably due to an overdose, defined as more than 1.5 cm(3)/kg; the recommended dose being 1 cm(3)/kg. In only five cases did toxic reactions occur at doses up to 1.5 cm(3)/kg, which were interpreted as idiosyncratic reactions; all of them occurred in children, and in two cases it was a severe reaction. One fatal outcome was noted among the 37 hospitalized patients. Two other fatal outcomes were observed in the 12-year-period but they occurred outside the hospital. The mortality rate is estimated to have been 0.01-0.015% among patients supposedly treated with oje in the area. Severe intoxication led to symptoms of cerebral edema. The main treatment was osmotic diuresis with mannitol which started in 1996. Although hypersensitivity reactions have been observed with other Ficus spp., there was apparently no such reaction in our cases. Recommendations are given so as to avoid toxic reactions from an expected continued use of oje.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Cophylogeny of the Ficus microcosm.

The various mutualistic and antagonistic symbioses between fig trees (Ficus: Moraceae) and chalcid wasps comprise a community in microcosm. Phylogenetic estimates of figs and fig wasps show general topological correspondence, making the microcosm a model system for cophylogeny. Incongruence between phylogenies from associated organisms can be reconciled through a combination of evolutionary events. Cophylogeny mapping reconciles phylogenies by embedding an associate tree into a host tree, finding the optimal combinations of events capable of explaining incongruence and evaluating the level of codivergence. This review addresses the results of cophylogeny analysis concerning Ficus and discusses the plausibility of different evolutionary events. Five different associations encompassing fig-pollinator, fig-parasite and pollinator-parasitoid interactions are reconciled. The method improves on previous comparisons by employing 'jungles' to provide an exhaustive and quantitative analysis of cophylogeny. A jungle is a mechanism for inferring host switches and obtaining all potentially optimal solutions to the reconciliation problem. The results support the consensus that figs codiverge significantly with pollinators but not non-pollinators. However, pollinators still appear to have switched between hosts in contradiction to the traditional model of faithful codivergence. This emphasises the growing realisation that evolutionary transitions in the microcosm are more flexible than previously thought and host specificity is necessary but not sufficient for codivergence. The importance of sampling strategy is emphasised by the influence of taxon set on the fig-pollinator and fig-parasite jungles. Spurious significant results for fig-parasite and fig-parasitoid jungles indicate that the choice of congruence measure influences significance; the total number of events required to reconcile two trees ('total cost') is not a good measure of congruence when switches cannot be realistically weighted.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Decayed wood of Syzygium cumini and Ficus religiosa living trees in Delhi/New Delhi metropolitan area as natural habitat of Cryptococcus neoformans.

The isolation is reported of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii and C. n. var. neoformans from decayed wood inside trunk hollows of Syzygium cumini and of C. n. var. neoformans from Ficus religiosa trees in the Delhi/New Delhi metropolitan area. Fourteen of sixty-six (21%) S. cumini trees investigated proved to be positive, seven for each variety. The two varieties never co-occurred in the same hollow. C. n. var. neoformans was also isolated from three of seventeen Ficus religiosa-trees. Two of these isolates originated from decayed wood and one from bark. The C. n. var. gattii and C. n. var. neoformans isolates belonged to serotype B and serotype A, respectively. The data strongly supported colonization of S. cumini by both varieties and of F. religiosa trees by C. n. var. neoformans. Evidence of this was found by repeated isolations. For example, in 36/44 (82%) samples for C. n. var. gattii and 22/27 (81%) samples for C. n. var. neoformans, and by a high population density in the tested wood debris (maximally 6 x 10(5) colony-forming units per gram [c.f.u./g] for C. n. var. gattii and 8 x 10(4) c.f.u./g for C. n. var. neoformans). No eucalypt trees were seen near the positive S. cumini and F. religiosa trees. The densities of C. neoformans in these trees exceeded those found previously in Eucalyptus camaldulensis and in other tree species more rarely reported to be sources of C. neoformans in India. S. cumini and F. religiosa appear not to have been reported to date as sources for either C. n. var. gattii or C n. var. neoformans. Our results add to the recently emerging evidence that the natural habitat of C. n. var. gattii and C. n. var. neoformans is not specific to woody or other debris of particular tree species, but instead is more generalized.

Colony Count, Microbial↗