3. Male Fern
Synonyms Aspidium; Filix
mas (B.P.); Male shield-fern; Male fern rhizome.
Biological Source Male fern comprises
of rhizomes and stipes of Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott.; D. marginata (Wall.)
Christ; D. odontolma (Hochst.)C. Chr., and other species of Dryopteris
belonging to family: Polypodiaceae.
Preparation The male
ferns are prepared by first collecting the rhizomes in the autumn, washed, roots
and the stipes except their bases are removed. Finally, the trimmed rhizomes
are dried by applying a moderate heat very carefully.
Characteristic Features The
rhizomes are dark brown or reddish brown externally and surrounded by stipes
bases. The stipes bases are covered with membranous scales (ramenta). It
has a slight and characteristic odour. It gives initially a sweetish taste,
followed by bitter, astringent and nauseous taste. The rhizomes are cylindrical
to conical in shape.
Chemical Constituents The
main active constituents of male fern are derivatives of phloroglucinol and
butyric acid.
It has been observed that two
or more molecules of simple monocyclic derivatives, such as: aspidinol,
filicinic acid and acylfilicinic acid may get condensed to give rise
to bicyclic derivatives, for instance; albaspidin, flavaspidic acid and
filicic acid as given here under:
Note: Filicic acid is a
mixture of six homologues, the three main components (i.e., BBB, PBB, PBP)
which are obtaine by recrystallization from ethyl acetate.
Filicin is the lactone
of filicic acid, which occurs as granular sediment in all male fern
extracts and may be obtained by collecting it and subsequently washing with
ether-ethanol mixture (1 : 1).
The insoluble portion is
dissolved in ethyl acetate or methanol and allowed to crystallize slowly when
it yields yellow flakes.
Uses
1. Male fern oleoresin is
an anthelmintic, specifically a taeniafuge.
2. It is also used as its
extract for the expulsion of tapeworms.
Source:Pharmacognosy And Pharmacobiotechnology By Ashutosh Kar
Source:Pharmacognosy And Pharmacobiotechnology By Ashutosh Kar
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