Symplocos racemosa and Ficus benghalensis are important medicinal plants widely documented in Ayurvedic literature for their broad therapeutic utility and pharmacological potential. Symplocos racemosa (Lodhra), belonging to the family Symplocaceae, is traditionally recognized for its styptic, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and astringent properties. It is extensively used in the management of diarrhoea, dysentery, bleeding disorders, epistaxis, menorrhagia, skin diseases, eye and ear disorders, hepatic ailments, asthma, and gynecological conditions. Ethnomedicinal reports further support its application in uterine disorders, gum diseases, fever, snake bite, and arthritis. Phytochemical investigations have identified important constituents including alkaloids such as loturine, collutrine, and loturidine along with tannins and coloring compounds, which are believed to contribute to its therapeutic actions. Experimental studies have demonstrated significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, anticancer, anti-androgenic, and anti-asthmatic activities. Ficus benghalensis Linn. (Vata), a large evergreen tree of the family Moraceae, is another highly valued medicinal plant in Ayurveda. Various plant parts including stem bark, root bark, aerial roots, leaves, fruits, and latex possess medicinal importance. The stem bark is an essential component of Panchavalkala and is traditionally indicated in yonidosha, raktapradara, raktapitta, vrana, visarpa, daha, jwara, sopha, and dermatological disorders. Ayurvedic texts describe the drug as having kashaya rasa, guru-ruksha guna, katu vipaka, and sheeta veerya with predominant Kapha-Pitta shamaka properties. Modern pharmacological studies have validated its antidiarrhoeal, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and antidiabetic activities. This review critically compiles the classical references, ethnomedicinal claims, phytochemical constituents, and experimentally proven pharmacological activities of Lodhra and Vata, emphasizing their therapeutic relevance and future research potential.
Yadav et al. (Sat,) studied this question.