Slowly degrading bricks and buildings along the way, the Creeping Fig has small leaves and is such a good climber that it clings tightly to almost any surface (Ficus pumila, syn. F. repens).
Native to East Asia and naturalized to many other areas, the Creeping Fig makes a good example of the diversity of forms that can be found in a genus. For example, compare its creeping form to the enormous Moreton Bay Fig tree (F. macrophylla)!
When it is young, the leaves are smaller and cling tightly to the wall, and as the plant matures, it builds up more leaf density and ends up looking like a hedge (often completely hiding whatever is behind it)—don’t try to run through that hedge!
There is some misinformation out there on this plant—the fruits it produces are indeed edible (though not so tasty if not prepared correctly), and even used for making a traditional jelly-desert or beverage in Asia (aiyu jelly in Taiwan or ice jelly in Singapore).
In traditional medicine, Creeping Fig has been used for a number of inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, edema, throat pain, hemorrhoids, postpartum pain (abdominally) and as a tonic.
In preclinical studies, it has been confirmed to have anti-inflammatory activity, possibly due to lowering levels of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde through increasing activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in the liver. It was also reported to decrease inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and COX-2.
Other traditional medicinal uses of Creeping Fig include the fruits and leaves use as tonics, for increasing breast milk production, treating impotence, and dysentery. The Creeping Fig’s reported anti-inflammatory activity is not such a surprise as it contains several known active phytochemicals, such as apigenin, luteolin, rutin, genistein, hesperidin, astragalin, isoquercitrin and chrysin.
#MedicinalPlants #Ethnopharm #Ethnobotany #theethnobotanicalexplorer #creepingfig #ficus #inflammation #foodasmedicine
*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Photo by Federico.dePalma.Medrano