Antimicrobial activity of fig (ficus carica linn.)‎ leaf extract as compared with latex extract against selected bacteria and fungi

Abstract AR

Ethanolic leaf extract and latex of fig (Ficus carica L.) were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against six bacterial strains, two gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) and four gram negative (Klebsiella pneumonae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli), and three fungal strains (Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus nigar), using agar well diffusion method for determination of inhibitory zone diameters (IZD).

The detection of some active compounds was carried out by chemical methods.

The results obtained showed that the extracts of fig contain; flavonoids, tannins, terpenes and steroids, alkaloids and saponins.

The ethanolic extract of leaves exhibited strong activity against the bacteria Staph.

aureus and Salm.

typhi (13 mm, 14 mm IZD),and the fungi Fusarium oxysporum (16 mm IZD), whereas The latex showed higher activity against these bacteria (15 mm IZD) for each of them, and the fungi Aspergillus nigar (18 mm IZD).

Kleb.

pneumonae and E.

coli seemed to be resistant to both extract which showed (8 mm, 9 mm) and (11 mm, 10 mm IZD) with ethanolic extract and latex respectively.

This study was indicated that fig leaf and latex extracts have antimicrobial activity against some pathogenic infections.