Combining biogeographic, ecological, morphological, molecular and chemical data, we document departure from strict specialization in the fig-pollinating wasp mutualism. We show that the pollinating wasps Elisabethiella stuckenbergi and Elisabethiella socotrensis form a species complex of five lineages in East and Southern Africa. Up to two morphologically distinct lineages were found to co-occu...

Ficus exasperata is an important medicinal plant with a wide geographical distribution in Africa particularly in Nigeria. In this study, aqueous stem bark extracts of Ficus exasperata were administered to investigate its hepatoprotective effects on Paracetamol induced liver toxicity in Wistar rats. A total of Twenty Five Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups labeled A-E and kept in...

Ficus sur and Ficus sycomorus, two medicinal species used in Burkinabe traditional medicine for the treatment of sickle cell disease were investigated. The determination of total phenolic and tannins contents, using the method of Folin-Ciocalteu (FCR), indicate values significantly (p <0.05) higher in extracts of Ficus sycomorus compared to those of Ficus sur, with respective values of 336.80 ±...

To evaluate the characteristics of atmospheric particle retention by plant leaves during the tourism season in Buddhism-based scenic areas, plants distributed in the core area of the Mount Wutai scenic area were selected for study: Populus davidiana (Po. davidiana), Rosa hugonis Hemsl. (R. hugonis), Betula platyphylla Suk. (B. platyphylla), Rosa xanthina Lindl. (R. xanthina), Periploca sepium B...

In this analysis, we attempt to understand how monoecy and dioecy drive spatial genetic structure (SGS) in plant populations. For this purpose, plants of the genus Ficus were used as a comparative model due to their particular characteristics, including high species diversity, variation in life histories, and sexual systems. One of the main issues we assessed is whether dioecious fig tree popul...

Background: Ficus benjamina is a plant belonging to the Moraceae family; although it does not bloom, it may be a source of indoor allergens. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of exposure and sensitization to Ficus benjamina in our environment, the clinical expression of such sensitization, and the possible cross reactivity with other allergens. Patients and methods: a to...

As plants produce a huge amount of antioxidants they can represent a source of new compounds with antioxidant activities. From this point of view, the main goal of this research was to study the antioxidant activities of the Ficus carica through the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicalscavenging method. Since DPPH assay has been largely used as a quick, reliable, and reproducible parame...