Investigation of the chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of ethanolic extracts of Ficus hirta var. roxburghii (Miq.) King

Abstract

The initial study investigated the chemical composition and biological activity of Ficus hirta var. roxburghii (Miq.) King. Quatitative analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids, and tannins. Stem extract exhibited high levels of total polyphenols content (39.18 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (73.62 mg QE/g), and tannins (71.86 mg CE/g) compared to leaf extract, correlating with strong antioxidant activity (EC₅₀ values of 192.24 µg/mL for DPPH and 60.73 µg/mL for ABTS^•+; Abs_0.5 values of 305.24 µg/mL for RP and 226.91 µg/mL for TAC). Conversely, leaf extract contained higher alkaloid content (125.56 mg AE/g) and inhibited Salmonella sp. with a MIC of 625 µg/mL. This differential distribution of bioactive compounds suggests potential for developing specialized natural medicinal products.