''Ficus deltoidea'', commonly known as mistletoe fig (''mas cotek'' in
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...
, ''tabat barito'' in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, or ''สาลิกาลิ้นทอง'' in
Thai) is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Moraceae
The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however ...
, native to
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
, and widely naturalized in other parts of the world.
Description
''F. deltoidea'' is an
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
shrub or small tree, growing up to about 2 m tall, with thick leaves that are deltoid in shape, rounded at the apex and tapering at the base.
The upper surface of the plants' leaves are dark, shining green, while the lower surface is golden yellow with black spots. Male and female plants are physically distinctive, with the leaves of female plants being big and round, while the leaves of male plants are small, round and long.
''F. deltoidea'' can grow on the land (
terrestrial plant
A terrestrial plant is a plant that grows on, in, or from land. Other types of plants are aquatic (living in water), epiphytic (living on trees) and lithophytic (living in or on rocks).
The distinction between aquatic and terrestrial plants i ...
), on the stone (
Lithophyte
Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...
) or attach to other plants as
epiphyte.
The plant grows wild in eastern
peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...
(
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in th ...
,
Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...
),
Sumatra,
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
,
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
(
Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...
,
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
,
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
and
Kalimantan),
Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
,
Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...
and in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
and is used by the traditional medical practitioners in these regions.
Taxonomy
C.C. Berg in his publication in
Blumea
''Blumea'' is a genus of flowering plants of the family Asteraceae.
Characteristics
Genus ''Blumea'' is found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of Asia, especially the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. A few species are found in Aust ...
classified ''F. deltoidea'' into two sub species based on difference of the leaf shape, subsp. ''deltoidea'' and subsp. ''motleyana'' (Miq.) C.C. Berg''.''
''F. deltoidea'' subsp. ''deltoidea'' has board leaf shape variation from obtriangular to linear-oblanceolate, include apex and based on lamina variation in the common deltoid shape with furcate midrib. ''F. deltoidea'' subsp. ''motleyana'' has oblong to lanceolate lamina shape with pinnately vein.
The first subspecies with deltoid leaf shape is a common taxa to be used as medicinal plant. Lee et al. (2016) success to conduct molecular analysis with
cpDNA and nSSR marker system for ''F. deltoidea'' from Peninsular Malaysia and the result support taxonomy classification based on morphological traits.
Uses
''Ficus deltoidea'' is used as an ornamental plant, requiring the protection of glass during winter months, in zones where the temperature falls below . It requires a sunny, sheltered, south- or east-facing position.
[ In the UK it is a recipient of the ]Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
's Award of Garden Merit.fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
s, stems and root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...
s are believed to have healing properties. Among the traditional uses attributed to this plant include menstrual cycle regulation; the treatment of post-partum depression, lung diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and skin problems;
Chemical composition
''F. deltoidea'' has been reported to possess triterpenoids
Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...
, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as o ...
, antioxidant and natural phenols ( flavonoids and proanthocyanins, a type of condensed tannins). Leaf extract treatment to mice indicated decrease of blood sugar level into 32.54% compared to mice without treatment
This plant is not only capable of reducing blood glucose but also improving tissues function, structure and behavioral performance of diabetic rats The percentage of circulating n-3 PUFA, in particular, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also showed a significant increase following F. deltoidea intake Treatment with F. deltoidea for eight weeks has been shown to prevent diabetic osteoporosis by increasing osteogenesis and reducing bone oxidative stress F. deltoidea leaves can also improve hormonal balance among letrozole induced polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) rats F. deltoidea also increases serum levels of testosterone, sperm count and motility in diabetic rats
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q406938
Medicinal plants of Asia