Pharmacognostical studies on Ficus racemosa stem bark

Ficus racemosa (Moraceae) is a popular medicinal plant in India, which has long been used in Ayurveda, the ancient system of Indian medicine for various diseases/disorders including diabetes, liver disorders, diarrhoea, inflammatory conditions, hemorrhoids, respiratory and urinary diseases. The present paper highlights the macroscopic and microscopic characters of the Ficus racemosa bark along with physicochemical evaluation and phytochemical characteristics. These observations would be of immense value in the botanical identification and standardization of the drug in crude form. This study would help distinguish the drug from its other species.