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.
