Path of Science: International Electronic Scientific Journal

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance has necessitated the search for novel therapeutic agents from natural sources. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition of Ficus globosa latex and assessed its antimicrobial activity against selected pathogenic microorganisms. Latex was collected, authenticated, and processed through acetone precipitation followed by drying at 60°C for three weeks. Both fresh and dried latex samples underwent phytochemical screening using standard methods, revealing abundant quantities of resins, steroids, and terpenoids; moderate levels of flavonoids; and trace amounts of fats, oils, and hydrolysable glycosides. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method against eight pathogenic microorganisms. The dried latex demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 3.89 mg/mL against Bacillus subtilis, 14.79 mg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus, and 8.13 mg/mL against Aspergillus niger. In contrast, fresh latex showed activity only against B. subtilis. F. globosa latex exhibits promising antimicrobial activity, particularly against gram-positive bacteria, warranting further investigation for therapeutic applications. The presence of multiple bioactive compounds suggests potential mechanisms for its antimicrobial effects.

Ficus globosa; latex; antimicrobial activity; phytochemical screening; minimum inhibitory concentration

1. O’Neill, Ch. (2016, May). Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: Final Report And Recommendations. Retrieved from https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160518_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf

2. Atanasov, A. G., Zotchev, S. B., Dirsch, V. M., Orhan, I. E., Banach, M., Rollinger, J. M., Barreca, D., Weckwerth, W., Bauer, R., Bayer, E. A., Majeed, M., Bishayee, A., Bochkov, V., Bonn, G. K., Braidy, N., Bucar, F., Cifuentes, A., D’Onofrio, G., … Supuran, C. T. (2021). Natural products in drug discovery: advances and opportunities. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 20(3), 200–216. doi: 10.1038/s41573-020-00114-z

3. Dias, D. A., Urban, S., & Roessner, U. (2012). A Historical Overview of Natural Products in Drug Discovery. Metabolites, 2(2), 303–336. doi: 10.3390/metabo2020303

4. Cragg, G. M., & Newman, D. J. (2013). Natural products: A continuing source of novel drug leads. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 1830(6), 3670–3695. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.02.008

5. Clement, W. L., Bruun-Lund, S., Cohen, A., Kjellberg, F., Weiblen, G. D., & Rønsted, N. (2020). Evolution and classification of figs (Ficus, Moraceae) and their close relatives (Castilleae) united by involucral bracts. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 193(3), 316–339. doi: 10.1093/botlinnean/boaa022

6. Boutaj, H. (2024). A Comprehensive Review of Moroccan Medicinal Plants for Diabetes Management. Diseases, 12(10), 246. doi: 10.3390/diseases12100246

7. Lansky, E. P., Paavilainen, H. M., Pawlus, A. D., & Newman, R. A. (2008). Ficus spp. (fig): Ethnobotany and potential as anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 119(2), 195–213. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.06.025

8. Patel, R., Gautam, P. (2014). Medicinal Potency Of Ficus Bengalensis: A Review. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321098074_MEDICINAL_POTENCY_OF_FICUS_BENGALENSIS_A_REVIEW

9. Shi, Y., Mon, A. M., Fu, Y., Zhang, Y., Wang, C., Yang, X., & Wang, Y. (2018). The genus Ficus (Moraceae) used in diet: Its plant diversity, distribution, traditional uses and ethnopharmacological importance. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 226, 185–196. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.07.027

10. Alam, A., & Mazumder, P. M. (2024). The Application of Ficus Species in the Treatment of Neurological Disorders. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 21(2), 323–335. doi: 10.1177/09731296241281440

11. Ahmed, S. S., & Rahman, M. O. (2024). From Flora to Pharmaceuticals: 100 new additions to angiosperms of Gafargaon subdistrict in Bangladesh and unraveling antidiabetic drug candidates targeting DPP4 through in silico approach. PLOS ONE, 19(3), e0301348. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301348

12. Wachtel-Galor, S., Benzie, I. (2011). Herbal Medicine: An Introduction to Its History, Usage, Regulation, Current Trends, and Research Needs. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22593939/

13. Yang, W., Chen, X., Li, Y., Guo, S., Wang, Z., & Yu, X. (2020). Advances in Pharmacological Activities of Terpenoids. Natural Product Communications, 15(3). doi: 10.1177/1934578x20903555

14. Adedokun, K. A., Imodoye, S. O., Bello, I. O., Lanihun, A.-A., & Bello, I. O. (2023). Therapeutic potentials of medicinal plants and significance of computational tools in anti-cancer drug discovery. Phytochemistry, Computational Tools and Databases in Drug Discovery, 393–455. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-323-90593-0.00017-4

15. Masyita, A., Mustika Sari, R., Dwi Astuti, A., Yasir, B., Rahma Rumata, N., Emran, T. B., Nainu, F., & Simal-Gandara, J. (2022). Terpenes and terpenoids as main bioactive compounds of essential oils, their roles in human health and potential application as natural food preservatives. Food Chemistry: X, 13, 100217. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100217

16. Ullah, A., Munir, S., Badshah, S. L., Khan, N., Ghani, L., Poulson, B. G., Emwas, A.-H., & Jaremko, M. (2020). Important Flavonoids and Their Role as a Therapeutic Agent. Molecules, 25(22), 5243. doi: 10.3390/molecules25225243

17. Shrestha, H., Bala, R., & Arora, S. (2014). Lipid-Based Drug Delivery Systems. Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2014, 1–10. doi: 10.1155/2014/801820

18. Emami, F., Vatanara, A., Park, E. J., & Na, D. H. (2018). Drying Technologies for the Stability and Bioavailability of Biopharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutics, 10(3), 131. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10030131

19. Wang, B., Xiang, J., He, B., Tan, S., & Zhou, W. (2023). Enhancing bioavailability of natural extracts for nutritional applications through dry powder inhalers (DPI) spray drying: technological advancements and future directions. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1190912

20. Pang, Z., Chen, J., Wang, T., Gao, C., Li, Z., Guo, L., Xu, J., & Cheng, Y. (2021). Linking Plant Secondary Metabolites and Plant Microbiomes: A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.621276

21. Huang, W., Wang, Y., Tian, W., Cui, X., Tu, P., Li, J., Shi, S., & Liu, X. (2022). Biosynthesis Investigations of Terpenoid, Alkaloid, and Flavonoid Antimicrobial Agents Derived from Medicinal Plants. Antibiotics, 11(10), 1380. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11101380

22. Fotsing Yannick Stephane, F., & Kezetas Jean Jules, B. (2020). Terpenoids as Important Bioactive Constituents of Essential Oils. Essential Oils - Bioactive Compounds, New Perspectives and Applications. 10.5772/intechopen.91426

23. Sorrenti, V., Burò, I., Consoli, V., & Vanella, L. (2023). Recent Advances in Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds from Food Wastes and By-Products: Biochemical Aspects. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(3), 2019. doi: 10.3390/ijms24032019