Observations placeholder
Figs and parasites
Identifier
012372
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Anthelminticsa or antihelminthics are drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may also be called vermifuges (those which stun) or vermicides (those which kill).
I think the researchers overdosed the mice. The fruit contains this latex anyway, eating the fruit might have been a better test. I have included this because it shows the potential is there to expel parasites even if the method they used - latex extract was not the right one
A description of the experience
J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Mar;64(3):255-8.
Anthelmintic activity of the latex of Ficus species.
de Amorin A1, Borba HR, Carauta JP, Lopes D, Kaplan MA.
Author information
- 1Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract
The latex of some species of Ficus (Moraceae) has been traditionally used as vermifuge in Central and South America. It has been accepted that anthelmintic activity is due to a proteolytic fraction called ficin. In the present study, the anthelmintic activity of the latex of Ficus insipida Willd. and Ficus carica L. has been investigated in NIH mice naturally infected with Syphacia obvelata, Aspiculuris tetraptera and Vampirolepis nana. The latex of F. insipida, administered by intragastric route in doses of 4 ml/kg/day during three consecutive days, were effective in the removal of 38.6% of the total number of S. obvelata, being inexpressive in the removal of A. tetraptera (8.4%) and segments of V. nana (6.3%). The latex of F. carica, administered in doses of 3 ml/kg/day, during three consecutive days, was effective in the removal of S. obvelata (41.7%) and it did not produce significant elimination of A. tetraptera (2.6%) and V. nana (8.3%). The observed high acute toxicity with hemorrhagic enteritis, in addition to a weak anthelmintic efficacy, do not recommend the use of these lattices in traditional medicine.
PMID: 10363841