SCREENING OF IN VITRO INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF FICUS VIRENS BARK

INTRODUCTION Ficus virens (Syn: Ficus infectoria) is a plant belonging to the genus Ficus and family Moraceae is found in India, Malaysia and northern Australia. Its common name is white fig and locally in Hindi language known as pilkhan It is a monoecious large spreading deciduous tree, epiphytic in young stages, with a few aerial roots. leaves coriaceous, glabrous, ablong-ovate, entire or undulate, acuminate, base acute, truncate or subcordate, lateral nerves 8-12 pairs; petiole articulate, glandular at the apex below. Receptacles unisexual, paired, axillary, shortly peduncle, globose, whitish with red dotted. In investigation of Ficus virens leaf revealed that phenolics compound form the major photochemical components of the leaves are responsible for the excellent antioxidant capacity of the extracts and the stem bark of the tree is employed in the indigenous systems of medicine for the variety of purpose like astringent, antiseptic. It is also used as a inflammatory swellings, boils and wound healing but none of the earlier works has not yet been documented. Hence in present study, an attempt was made to screen out invitro anti-inflammatory activity on the bark extract of Ficus virens. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant material The plant was obtained from the Tirumala Forest, Tirupathi and the bark was identified by Dr. Madhava Chetty. Authentication has done by Dr. P.Jayaraman, Director, Plant Anatomy Research Centre, Chennai (Voucher specimen number.2194).