Fructus fici
From HerbLab, herbal encyclopedia of Chinese traditional medicine
Contents |
Fructus fici(无花果)
In Rest and Diet Recipes, h was recorded that: "The herb is sweet, cold, acts to reduce heat and loosens the bowel."
Fructus Fici is the dried succulent receptacle, root and leaf of Ficus carica L. of the family Moraceae, which contains antineoplastic agents in the dried and immature fruit and its juice. In addition to its medicinal functions, Fructus Fici is edible because it is sweet in taste.
ANTICANCER PHARMACOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
1. The juice of the whole plant, when injected into guinea pigs, has an inhibitive effect on the transplanted sarcoma. 2. The dregs of the water extract of the dried fruit precipitated with acetone has an active action against Ehriich's sarcoma. 3. The juice extracted from its immature fruit inhibits transplanted sarcoma in rats, spontaneous mastocarcinoma of mice and causes necrosis of the tumor. It may as well delay the growth of transplanted adenocarcinoma, myeloid leukemia and make the tumor degenerate.
EXPERIMENTAL FORMULAS
For cancers of the stomach and the bowel:
Five pieces of the fresh Fructus Fici are eaten or a decoction of 20 grams of the dried fruit is taken after meals every day. (Research Data on Medicinal Herbs, Vol.6, 1978)
For esophageal cancer:
Fresh Fructus Fici (500g) is stewed with lean meat (lOOg) for half an hour and both the broth and the meat are taken altogether. {Herbal Handbook)
For cancer of the urinary bladder:
Fructus Fici (30g) and Caulis Aristolochiae Manshuriensis (15g) are decocted for oral administration daily. (Prevention and Treatment of Tumors in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
HISTORICAL COMMENTS
In Materia Medica of Yunnan Province, it was pointed out that: "Mixed with cereal oil, the herb may be applied to all sorts of anonymous pyrogenic infections such as cellulitis, carbuncle, scabies, impetigos, breast mass and ulcerated smallpox."
In Flower Mirror, it was described that: "There are seven advantageous aspects concerning the herb: First, it is sweets harmless and suitable for people old and young; Second, it looks and tastes like persimmon when dried under the sun; Third, maturing fruit collected in early autumn will be sufficient for use for three months; Fourth, it is one of the most productive and fastest growing trees, which, once planted, bears fruit at ihe same year and may become a big tree the next year, but peach and plum trees are quite different, they grow 3-4 years to bear fruit; Fifth, the leaves of the plant is the best herb for hemorrhoid; Sixth, the immature fruit can be collected and boiled with sugar; Seventh, the plant can grow anywhere it is planted."
In Compendium of Medicinal Herbs it was commented that: "The herb cures sore and painful throat and pharynx, and different types of hemorrhoid."
It was indicated in Jiangsu Flora that: "The white juice of the fresh fruit cures verruca when applied externally."
THE HERBLAB.ORG'S NOTE
According to a report in Medical Reference Data (Vol. 2, 1972), the extract of Fructus Fici was used in some foreign countries to treat 5 cases of advanced gastric cancer and it seemed effective. After30-50 days of intravenous administration with a dose of 10-40ml three times a day, the tumor finally disappeared. The drug has a broad scope of antineoplastic actions and has no toxic side effects. Besides, it is sweet and edible as fresh fruit and should be included in the list of anticancer diet for cancer patients. In West Germany, juice of the fruit has been applied to cure verruca since the ancient time, while in Japan, the herb has been processed into injections for the treatment of pharyngolaryngeal cancer, adenocarcinoma, cervical cancer and cancer of the urinary bladder.
The ficoin in the juice ofFructus Fici is an anthelmintic which is effective both for roundworms and whipworms. The antineoplastic activity of traditional anthelmintics used in various countries has been carefully studied in Japan since 1970s and certain achievements have been made.
