Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. is widely cultivated in Jeju Island (South Korea) for use in manufacture of health foods. This study described antidepressant effect of two flavonoids (kaempferol and quercitrin) isolated from the Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. The expression of the hypothalamic POMC mRNA or plasma β-endorphin levels were increased by extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. s...

The common wild fig, Ficus thonningii, is extensively used in African ethnomedicine for treating a number of disease conditions which include diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, diabetes mellitus, gonorrhoea, respiratory infections, and mental illnesses. This review aims to present a logical analysis of the nutritional, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of F. thonningii in relation ...

The main objective of the present study was to develop matrix-moderated transdermal systems of Diltiazem HCl using various proportions of Ficus reticuleta fruit mucilage. Physical evaluation was performed such as moisture content, moisture uptake, tensile strength, flatness and folding endurance. In-vitro penetration studies were performed in a Keshary-Chien diffusion cell. The matrix-type tran...

The reproductive effects of Ficus asperifolia in female rats were investigated in the present study. Sperm-positive adult female rats were orally administered (P.O.) either the aqueous and methanol extracts of Ficus asperifolia (100 and 500mg/kg), distilled water (10ml/kg) or 5%Tween 80 (10ml/kg) for seven days. On day 10 of pregnancy, the implantation sites were recorded. In the fertility stud...

The citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri, is a highly destructive pest of citrus, occurring only in the aerial parts of plants. Humidity will be one of the key factors to consider when using entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) as biological control agents. Different adjuvants can be added to suspensions of EPNs, to improve control as a foliar application. An aqueous suspension containing Heterorhabd...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Ficus virens (Moraceae) is distributed widely in South and Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and northern Australia, and it is also cultivated outside its original northern range limit in southwestern China. Therefore, the species is well suited to explore the mechanism of range limits of Ficus species. However, little is known about its genetic background. METHODS AND RESULTS F...

Opuntia ficus indica cladodes are used in traditional medicine of many countries for their cicatrisant activity. The major components of cladodes are carbohydrate-containing polymers, which consist of a mixture of mucilage and pectin. In this paper we studied the cytoprotective effects of cladodes on experimental ethanol-induced ulcer in rat. The O. ficus indica cladodes administration gives ri...

The conversion of forest to agriculture across the world's tropics, and the limited space for protected areas, has increased the need to identify effective conservation strategies in human-modified landscapes. Isolated trees are believed to conserve elements of ecological structure, providing micro-sites for conservation in matrix landscapes, and facilitating seed dispersal and forest restorati...

Extracts of Aloe vera whole plant, Eucalyptus globulus leaves, Ficus infectoria bark, Ficus religiosa bark and Piper betel leaves were studied for antibacterial activity on resistant and sensitive strains, isolated from skin and soft tissue infections. A combination of hot alcoholic extracts of Ficus infectoria, Ficus religiosa and Piper betel were found to be more effective against all the iso...

Walkerella is an Old World genus of non-pollinating fig wasps in the subfamily Otitesellinae (Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae). It is the most widely distributed genus of the subfamily, though there has been only six known world species. This paper describes two new species associated with the host Ficus subsection Conosycea of section Urostigma, subgenus Urostigma in Xishuangbanna, China. The two n...