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Chemistry, Biological Activities, and Uses of Ficus carica Latex

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Gums, Resins and Latexes of Plant Origin

Part of the book series: Reference Series in Phytochemistry ((RSP))

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Abstract

Ficus carica L. (Moraceae), also known as the common fig, is the most relevant fig species. It is valued both as food and as medicine. Fig contains milky latex in all parenchymatous tissues, which consists of the cytoplasmic content of laticifers and is leaked in response to physical damage. In this book chapter, aspects of the chemical composition of latex from the common fig are reviewed, including proteins with enzymatic activity, fatty acids, amino acids, volatile and nonvolatile low molecular weight molecules (secondary metabolites), and rubber particles. Biological activity, ethnopharmacological uses, and commercial aspects of fig latex and enzymes with high economic value purified from F. carica latex are also discussed.

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Abbreviations

GC-IT-MS:

Gas Chromatography-Ion Trap-Mass Spectrometry

HPLC-DAD:

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector

HPLC-UV:

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet

HPLC-UV-MS/MS:

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography- Ultraviolet-Mass/Mass

HPLC-UV/Vis:

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet/Visible

HS-SPME/GC-IT-MS:

Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction/Gas Chromatography-Ion Trap-Mass Spectrometry

TLC:

Thin Layer Chromatography

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR, Grant 80020180300045UR). MVC and SNL are members of CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Farmacognosia, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario – CONICET, Rosario, Argentina

    María Victoria Castelli & Silvia Noelí López

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  1. María Victoria Castelli
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  2. Silvia Noelí López
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Correspondence to Silvia Noelí López .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Karnatak University, Dharwad, Karnataka, India

    Hosakatte Niranjana Murthy

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Castelli, M.V., López, S.N. (2022). Chemistry, Biological Activities, and Uses of Ficus carica Latex. In: Murthy, H.N. (eds) Gums, Resins and Latexes of Plant Origin. Reference Series in Phytochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76523-1_34-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76523-1_34-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76523-1

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