Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Ficus carica Plant Extract

Abstract

The development of antibiotic resistant bacteria causes many harmful effects on human and animal lives. In developing countries many expensive synthetic drugs are being used to cure diseases but they have many side effects. Therefore, there is need to develop new strategies to control microbial infections. Therefore, we decided to work on extracts of different parts of Ficus carica which have good activity against gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria and fungal species. Methanol and chloroform extracts of root, stem, leaves and fruits were prepared and zone of inhibition was measured by using well diffusion method against gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) two gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus) and two fungal species Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae. methanol extract of leaves has high % yield (5.86%) and high zone of inhibition (23mm) against bacteria Escherichia coli and fungus Aspergillus niger (34mm). Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus was highly sensitive to chloroform extract with zone of inhibition 74mm while Escherichia coli was highly sensitive to metabolic extract with zone of inhibition 82mm. Chloroform extract has average zone of inhibition (56mm) and methanolic extract has average zone of inhibition (63mm).