With a history as ancient as any cultivated fruit, many believe the
fig has been with us even longer than the pomegranate. The Ficus
constitutes one of the largest and hardiest genera of flowering
plants featuring as many as 750 species. Although the extraordinary
mutualism between figs and their pollinating wasps has received
much attention, the phylogeny of both partners is only beginning to
be reconstructed. The fig plant does have a long history of
traditional use as a medicine and has been a subject of significant
modern research. Figs, the Genus Ficus brings together those
histories, ancient and modern, to present an extraordinary profile
of an extraordinary plant with an abundance of medical uses and a
reputation as both a delicacy and a diet staple in some regions of
the world. Several chapters within the book are devoted to
intensive study of different parts of the tree: fruits, leaves,
bark and stem, roots, and latex. These chapters discuss the Ficus
genus as a whole, including the botany of the most important
species that have been related to that particular part
pharmacologically. The authors, Dr. Ephraim Lansky MD, highly
respected as one of the world's only physician pharmcognocists and
Dr. Helena Paavilainen, a renowned researcher of natural products,
go on to consider the chemistry and pharmacology of each part in
selected Ficus species, and modern, medieval, and ancient methods
for obtaining and preparing the beneficial components from that
plant part for medicinal use. Special attention is paid to the
plants' propensity for fighting inflammation, including cancer.
Figs' future potential is considered in a number of treatments, as
are future areas of research. Includes a wealth of comparative
tables for quick reference Provides dozens of illustrative and
original high-quality photos as well as drawings and chemical
structures Offers complete references after every chapter Figs, the
Genus Ficus is a book in the CRC Press Series, Traditional Herbal
Medicines for Modern Times, edited by Roland Hardman. Each volume
in this series provides academia, health sciences, and the herbal
medicines industry with in-depth coverage of the herbal remedies
for infectious diseases, certain medical conditions, or the plant
medicines of a particular country. Figs, the Ficus trees, are an
understudied genus in modern pharmacognosy. This book present a
multidisciplinary approach to the botany, chemistry, and
pharmacology of fig trees and figs of the Ficus species, including
the fig of commerce, Ficus carica, the rubber tree, Ficus elastic,
and the Bo tree, Ficus religiosa. Traditional and current uses of
figs in medicine are discussed in detail. The book also explores
how figs and fig tree parts are processed, and the pharmacological
basis underlying the potential efficacy of preparations is
investigated in relation to their chemical composition. The book
moves seamlessly from mythology to botany to ethnomedicine to
pharmacology to phytochemistry.
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