Development of Quality Standards of Ficus Carica Linn. Leaves

Traditional healing through herbs have been the experienced of many countries since ages, as they were generally whispered to be non toxic natural products. Contemporary medicine is more concern for the cure of diseases but remnants indifferent to health conservation. There is an urgent need to combine the best elements of traditional medicine and modern medicine to improve the health care system of human kind. For the reason that of the rapid progress of herbal drug an increasing need is felt to standardize the herbal products. It is needed to develop the scientific protocols such as SOP and pharmacopoeial standards of the herbal drug. Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae) is commonly known as edible Due to the useful effect of leaves in skin diseases, Pharmacognostical standardization of F. carica leaves was carried out. The transverse section of leaves showed upper and lower epidermis with covering and glandular trichomes and midrib showed arc shaped vascular bundle. Successive extractive value was highest (23.606%) in case of aqueous extract. Mean ash values (%) were 23.04 (total), 6.48 (acid insoluble) 12.69 (water soluble). Loss on drying was 5.9107%. Resin content was found 1.33%. Phytochemical screening leaves powder showed the presence of carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, steroids, tannin, resin and acidic compounds.