Pharmacognostical and phytochemical screening of root and fruit of Ficus semicordata Buch.-Ham. Ex Sm. - An extra pharmacopoeial drug.

Introduction: Root and fruits of Bhumi Udumbara (Ficus semicordata Buch.-Ham. ex Sm.) are traditionally used in the treatment of aphthous complaints, leprosy, headache, abdominal diseases, bladder ailments, visceral obstruction, and various disorders.

Aim: Present study reports the microscopic including powder microscopy, physiochemical and preliminary phytochemical characters of root and fruit of F. semicordata.

Materials and methods: Root and fruit of the plant, after proper authentication, were evaluated following standard pharmacopoeial recommended procedures.

Results: Striking characters of the F. semicordata root is the presence of profusely branched root-like structures, nearer to the trunk, and reaches the ground as a supporting root (aerial root or false root). The diagrammatic section of the root, circular in outline, made up of an outer cork, followed by cortex, vascular bundle, and central pseudo pith. Fruit is shortly peduncled, in pairs or clusters, globose in shape, hispid and warted surface, reddish brown in color. Loss on drying at 110°C was found to be 10.54% and 11.73% of root and fruit respectively. High-performance thin-layer chromatography results showed 2 peaks at 254 and 366 nm of root and 3 peaks at 254 and 1 peak at 366 nm of fruit respectively.

Conclusion: F. semicordata is a small or medium-sized evergreen tree, bears a supporting root (aerial root or false root) nearer to the trunk region. Root reddish brown in color with smooth surface, prominent nodes, and internodes, presence of fruits over nodes and internodes is the key identifying character. Stone cells found in root and the presence of pollen grains, simple starch grains, and compound starch grains in fruit are the diagnostic characteristics of F. semicordata.