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Background. Ficus benjamina L. is an evergreen tree, native to Southeast Asia, and often known as a weeping fig. Its latex and fruit extracts are used by indigenous cultures to cure skin conditions, inflammation, vomiting, leprosy, malaria, and nasal ailments. The aqueous extract of the figs of Ficus benjamina L. has various therapeutic values, including biological activities on the central nervous system. Materials and Methods. The extract of the dried figs of Ficus benjamina L. (FBE) was prepared by defatting with petroleum ether for 16 h followed by soxhelation with 70% methanol (1 : 10 w/v) for 24 h, and standardization of the extract was carried out using HPLC with 5-HT as a standard. Electroconvulsions were induced by the maximal electroshock model, and chemoconvulsions were induced by picrotoxin. Results. The HPLC chromatogram of the Ficus benjamina L. extract showed an absorption peak with a retention time of 1.797 min, similar to that observed with standard serotonin (5-HT) solution. In the maximal electroshock model, FBE significantly reduced the duration of the tonic hind limb extensor and extensor-to-flexor ratio (E/F ratio) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, in the picrotoxin-induced seizure model, FBE increased the seizure latency and decreased the duration of tonic-clonic convulsions dose-dependently. We confirmed the anticonvulsant activity of the FBE extract as it attenuated both maximal electroshock and picrotoxin-induced convulsions. Conclusion. The in vivo studies revealed that the Ficus extract was found to protect the animals in electroshock-induced and picrotoxin-induced convulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high yielding tenera is the commercial oil palm planting material of choice in Southeast Asia. Notwithstanding this, there is continuous effort to further improve the yield and one way to do this is by addressing the yield components (YCs). Using 4451 SNP and over 600 SSR markers, this study revealed quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with YCs in two breeding populations, a Deli dura × Yangambi pisifera (P2) and a Deli dura × AVROS pisifera (KULIM DxP). Thirteen and 29 QTLs were identified in P2 and KULIM DxP, respectively. They were compared to other YC-linked QTLs reported previously for different genetic backgrounds by mapping the QTL-linked markers to the oil palm genome. The comparison revealed four common chromosomes containing QTLs influencing various YCs. The results reveal the possible presence of closely linked loci or pleiotropic genes influencing YCs in oil palm. Exploiting the genome data has also facilitated the discovery of candidate genes within or near the QTL regions including those related to glycosylation, fatty acid and oil biosynthesis, and development of flower, seed and fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]