Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fig (Ficus Carica)—Morphology, Taxonomy, Composition and Health Benefits

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Fruits Grown in Highland Regions of the Himalayas

Abstract

Fig fruit is a well known nutritious and delicious fruit of the Indian subcontinent. Its cultivation is restricted and done locally, which makes it an underutilized fruit crop. Fig fruit is attractive, energy dense and rich in nutritive value. It is consumed in fresh or dried form. Dried figs have sweet, and chewy taste. Figs are relished as dried fruit due to characteristic detectable flavour. Daily consumption of figs can provide almost 20 per cent of the recommended dietary fibre per serving. It also helps to regulate blood pressure and blood cholesterol due to the presence of potassium, omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. High medicinal value of figs is attributed to presence of different phytochemicals.

Family

Moraceae

Genus:

Ficus

Species:

Ficus carica

Local name:

Anjeer

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahrens, M. J., & Thompson, D. L. (2013). Effect of emulin on blood glucose in type 2 diabetics. Journal of Medicinal Food, 16(3), 211–215.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Snafi, A. E. (2017). Nutritional and pharmacological importance of Ficus carica-A review. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy, 7(3), 33–48.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amara, A. A., El-Masry, M. H., & Bogdady, H. H. (2008). Plant crude extracts could be the solution: Extracts showing in vivo antitumorigenic activity. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 21(2).

    Google Scholar 

  • American Diabetes Association. (2009). Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes care, 1:32(Supplement 1), S62–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arvaniti, O. S., Samaras, Y., Gatidou, G., Thomaidis, N. S., & Stasinakis, A. S. (2019). Review on fresh and dried figs: Chemical analysis and occurrence of phytochemical compounds, antioxidant capacity and health effects. Food Research International, 119, 244–267.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bey, M. B., & Louaileche, H. (2015). A comparative study of phytochemical profile and in vitro antioxidant activities of dark and light dried fig (Ficus carica L.) varieties. The Journal of Phytopharmacology, 4(1), 41–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Canal, J. R., Torres, M. D., Romero, A., & Pérez, C. (2000). A chloroform extract obtained from a decoction of Ficus carica leaves improves the cholesterolaemic status of rats with streptozotocin-included diabetes. Acta Physiologica Hungarica, 87(1), 71–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chawla, A., Singh, S., & Sharma, A. K. (2013). Salacia oblonga wall: A review on its pharmacognostic, phytochemical and pharmacological aspects. Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, 4(4), 1215–1228.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duke, J. A. (1992). Database of phytochemical constituents of GRAS herbs and other economic plants. CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO. (2014). http://faostat.fao.org.

  • Figs, Raw Nutrition Facts & Calories (self.com).

  • Frodin, D. G. (2004). History and concepts of big plant genera. Taxon, 53(3), 753–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gani, G., Fatima, T., Qadri, T., Gulzar, B., Jan, N., & Bashir, O. (2018). Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of fig (Ficus carica): A review.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilani, A. H., Mehmood, M. H., Janbaz, K. H., Khan, A. U., & Saeed, S. A. (2008). Ethnopharmacological studies on antispasmodic and antiplatelet activities of Ficus carica. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 119(1), 1–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodlad, R. A. (2001). Dietary fibre and the risk of colorectal cancer. Gut, 48(5), 587–589.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gousia, G., Tabasum, F., Tahiya, Q., Beenish, Nusrat, J., Omar, B. (2018). Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of fig: A review. International Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3, 80–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolesnik, A. A., Kakhniashvili, T. A., Zherebin, Y. L., Golubev, V. N., & Pilipenko, L. N. (1986). Lipids of the fruit of Ficus carica. Chemistry of Natural Compounds, 22(4), 394–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lydia, D. E. (2009). Wonders of Figs. In Summaries and short reviews. Available at http://www.shvoong.com/medicine-and-health/nutrition/1866223-wonders-figs/. Accessed September 10.

  • Marwat, S. K., Khan, M. A., Khan, M. A., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M., & Fazal-ur-rehman, Sultana S. (2009). Fruit plant species mentioned in the Holy Qura’n and Ahadith and their ethnomedicinal importance. American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 5, 284–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mir, M. M., Kumar, A., Iqbal, U., Mir, S. A., Rehman, M. U., Banday, S. A., Rather, G. H., & Fayaz, S. (2018). Characterization of Fig (Ficus carica L.) Germplasm in Central Kashmir of North Western Himalayan Region. Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, 31(1), 57–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitra, S. K. (Ed.). (1997). Postharvest physiology and storage of tropical and subtropical fruits (No. 04; SB359, P6.). CAB international.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morsli, A., Bellal, M., & Arnmouche, A. (1985). Annales de L’Inst. Nat Agr onomique, 9, 63–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, J. F. (1987). Fruits of warm climates. Creative Resource Systems. Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • NDTV Foods. Health benefits of Anjeer (Fig): From weight management to boosting heart health. NDTV Food. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/potassium-diabetes.

  • Penelope, O. (1997). Great natural remedies. Kyle Cathic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perez, C., Dominguez, E., Ramiro, J. M., Romero, A., Campillo, J. E., & Torres, M. D. (1996). A study on the glycaemic balance in streptozotocin-diabetic rats treated with an aqueous extract of Ficus carica (fig tree) leaves. Phytotherapy Research, 10(1), 82–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, J. M., Montgomery, S., Haddad, E., Kearney, L., & Tonstad, S. (2011). Effect of consumption of dried California mission figs on lipid concentrations. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 58(3), 232–238.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahmani, A. H., & Aldebasi, Y. H. (2017). Ficus carica and its constituents role in management of diseases. The Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 10(6), 49–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rattanpal, H. S., & Sidhu, G. S. (2015). Studies on propagation of fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars by budding. In V International symposium on Fig (pp. 173–176).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubnov, S., Kashman, Y., Rabinowitz, R., Schlesinger, M., & Mechoulam, R. (2001). Suppressors of cancer cell proliferation from fig (Ficus c arica) resin: Isolation and structure elucidation. Journal of Natural Products, 64(7), 993–996.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, S. K., & Badiyala, S. D. (2006). Variability studies in common fig in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 63(2), 159–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slatnar, A., Klancar, U., Stampar, F., & Veberic, R. (2011). Effect of drying of figs (Ficus carica L.) on the contents of sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 59(21), 11696–11702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, A., Golubowicz, S., Yablowicz, Z., Bergman, M., Grossman, S., Altman, A., Kerem, Z., & Flaishman, M. A. (2010). EPR studies of O2• − , OH, and 1O2 scavenging and prevention of glutathione depletion in fibroblast cells by cyanidin-3-rhamnoglucoside isolated from fig (Ficus carica L.) fruits. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(12), 7158–7165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, A., Golubowicz, S., Yablowicz, Z., Grossman, S., Bergman, M., Gottlieb, H. E., Altman, A., Kerem, Z., & Flaishman, M. A. (2006). Antioxidant activities and anthocyanin content of fresh fruits of common fig (Ficus carica L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(20), 7717–7723.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soltana, H., Pinon, A., Limami, Y., Zaid, Y., Khalki, L., Zaid, N., Salah, D., Sabitaliyevich, U. Y., Simon, A., Liagre, B., & Hammami, M. (2019). Antitumoral activity of Ficus carica L. on colorectal cancer cell lines. Cellular and Molecular Biology, 65(6), 6–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soni, N., Mehta, S., Satpathy, G., & Gupta, R. K. (2014). Estimation of nutritional, phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of dried fig (Ficus carica). Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 3(2).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stover, E., Aradhya, M., Ferguson, L., & Crisosto, C. H. (2007). The fig: Overview of an ancient fruit. HortScience, 42(5), 1083–1087.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USDA, National Nutrient Database for Standard References. (2019). https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/. Accessed 16 January 2019.

  • Veberic, R., Colaric, M., & Stampar, F. (2008). Phenolic acids and flavonoids of fig fruit (Ficus carica L.) in the northern Mediterranean region. Food Chemistry, 106(1), 153–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, L., Dallwitz, M. J. (2004). The families of flowering plants: Description, illustration, identification, and information retrieval. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta.

  • Yang, X. M., Yu, W., Ou, Z. P., Liu, W. M., & Ji, X. L. (2009). Antioxidant and immunity activity of water extract and crude polysaccharide from Ficus carica L. fruit. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 64(2), 167–173.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Food Science and Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Shalimar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Syed Zameer Hussain, Bazila Naseer, Tahiya Qadri & Tashooq Ahmad Bhat

  2. Department of Moalijat, Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Tabasum Fatima

Authors
  1. Syed Zameer Hussain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bazila Naseer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tahiya Qadri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tabasum Fatima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tashooq Ahmad Bhat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hussain, S.Z., Naseer, B., Qadri, T., Fatima, T., Bhat, T.A. (2021). Fig (Ficus Carica)—Morphology, Taxonomy, Composition and Health Benefits. In: Fruits Grown in Highland Regions of the Himalayas. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75502-7_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation