Abstract

TAXONOMICAL CLASSIFICATION AND ANATOMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FICUS BENGALENSIS: A WELL-KNOWN MEDICINAL PLANT

Punitkanwal Kaur*, Namneet Kaur, Manpreet Kaur, Amit Kapoor

ABSTRACT

Ficus bengalensis (Moracea) is widely distributed throughout the India. Synonyms of fiucs bengalensis in india is banyan tree. According to Ayurveda it is astringent to bowels. It is used in treatment of various diseases such as ulcers, vomiting, vaginal complains, fever, inflammations and leprosy. According to Unani system of medicines F. bengalensis latex has thousands therapeutic actions and used as aphrodisiac, tonic, maturant, useful in piles, gonorrhea, neuralgia, rheumatism, lumbago and skin diseases. The leaves contains crude protein, crude fibres, CaO, phosphorous, rutin, friedelin, taraxosterol, lupeol, β-amyrin along with psoralen, bergapten and β-sisterol, quercetin-3-galactoside. It also contains leucodelphinidin derivative, bengalenoside, aglucoside, leucopelargonin and leucocynidin derivatives. The latex contains resin, albumin, cerin, sugar, and malic acid. Dried leaves of plant were subjected to organoleptic evaluation by observing it with naked eye. Thin transverse section of leaf is taken and observed under microscope. Dried powdered material was obtained by grinding leaves for powder microscopy. The pharmacognostic studies revealed the morphological characters of leaves like shape - elliptic or ovate, size - 10 to 30 cm. Thin transverse section of leaf midrib reveals the presence of upper and lower epidermal layers which were composed of rectangular cells. Powder microscopy showed the presence of cuboidal shape calcium oxalate crystals and fibers.

Keywords: Ficus bengalensis, Anatomy, Organoleptic evaluation, Microscopy, Fibres, Crystals and epidermis.