Phytochemical characterization and anti-inflammatory evaluation of compounds extracted from Ficus erecta roots.

This article interprets Luke 13:6-9 through inner texture analysis of the socio-rhetorical interpretation by Vernon K. Robbins. It reveals a profound ecological ethic within the parable’s literary structure. The repetitive plea of the gardener for more time, κύριε, ἄφες αὐτὴν (Lord, let it alone), and the conditional promise of future fruitfulness create a narrative of patience and intervention. The barren fig tree is not merely a spiritual metaphor but represents any natural resource subjected to unsustainable demand. The landowner’s impulse to cut it down reflects a short-sighted, extractive economics that prioritises immediate utility. In contrast, the Vinedresser’s advocacy embodies the principles of ecological stewardship, restorative action (digging and fertilising), intervention for the non-human world, and a commitment to nurturing latent potential. This reading transforms the parable into a timeless call for responsible custodianship, advocating for grace periods of sustainability that allow damaged ecological systems toheal and bear fruit.

This study was conducted to investigate the status of Badnavirus fici infection in domestic fig trees, more than 80 samples were randomly collected from experimental fields and farm fields in major fig producing areas in Korea. Thereafter, the collected samples were used for polymerase chain reaction diagnosis and nucleotide sequence analysis. As a result, B. fici was identified from domestic fig trees. It was confirmed that all collected samples were infected with B. fici. The virus detection rate was found to be 100%. As a result of nucleotide sequence analysis of B. fici detected in domestic fig trees. The sequences showed very high nucleotide identity (up to 100%) with Badnavirus fici isolates reported from Iran and the USA. This paper is expected to be used as basic data for the production of fig tree virus disease-free seedlings, and this paper reports the detection and identification of report on B. fici discovered from fig trees in Korea.

Effect of Foliar Spraying with Benzyl Adenine and Nano-Calcium on Some Vegetative Growth and Fruiting Traits of Al-Ubaid Fig Trees

Ficus carica, a common fig and Ficus racemosa, a cluster fig which are well-known plants of the genus Ficus (Moraceae family) that demand comparative therapeutic assessment. The study was designed to bio-fabricate a therapeutic application and Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis of both Ficus species. Microwave-assisted extraction method was used to prepare aqueous leaf extracts. Antioxidant profile was determined through total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and DPPH radical scavenging assays. Antibacterial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method. Alpha-amylase inhibition and hemolytic assays were used to determine antidiabetic and cytotoxic potentials, respectively, in aqueous leaf extracts of F. carica and F. racemosa. The F. carica and F. racemosa exhibited 113.74 ± 3.61 mg GAE/100g and 89.51 ± 5.65 mg GAE/100g TPC (p > 0.05), respectively. TFC in F. carica was 55.13 ± 4.04 mg CE/100g and 45.89 ± 1.29 mg GAE/100g in F. racemosa (p > 0.05). The percentage of DPPH radical scavenging activity in F. carica was 43.61 ±2.01% while in F. racemosa, it was 53.41 ± 2.23% (p > 0.05). Both samples exhibited mild antimicrobial activities (8 to 20 mm growth inhibition zones). Moderate alpha-amylase inhibition was observed (F. carica: 25.54 ± 0.88% and F. racemosa: 21.29 ± 15.81%), while hemolytic activity was higher in F. racemosa (13.2 ± 1.22%) than in F. carica (12.47 ± 2.79 %). FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, phenols, alkenes, alkynes, esters, ethers, fluoride, amines and aromatics. It is concluded that both medicinal plants exhibited antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities. The F. racemosa and F. carica extracts exhibited low hemolytic activity, indicating good biocompatibility, with FRA being marginally more hemolytic than F. carica but also having lower cytotoxic effects. These findings support their future application in pharmacological formulations. Future research involving different extraction techniques and animal trials could improve therapeutic understanding and clinical applications.

In the present compilation the current scientific information on Türkiye fig production: varieties cultivation, horticultural requirements, fresh and dry handling; postharvest physiology and storage, fig processing and its processed products was evaluated. Turkey led fig-producing countries with 356,000 t, accounting for 27.3% of total world production in 2023. Turkey has a share of about 50-55% in dried fig production and 52-60% in fig exports. Although the number of countries importing Turkish figs is increasing, more than 70% is sent to the EU markets. In Türkiye, the main cultivar for drying is “Sarilop” in which is favored in all fig producing countries for its quality. ‘Bursa Siyahı’ which is also is the most preferred and high quality for fresh fig in the world market with increasing export demand. Fig plants are usually propagated by cuttings. The fig plantations are established by rooted hardwood cuttings with a between and on row spacing ranging from 7x7 or 8x8 m in older low-land orchards to 5x6 or 6 x 6 m on the slopes. Generally, fig trees are trained in “open-centre” system. Table fig varieties are consumed fresh while dried fig varieties are consumed as dried fruit. In addition, some fruits are consumed as processed products such as jam, marmalade or delight etc. Owing to the extreme perishability of fresh fig fruit, the most important fig product offered to consumers is dried fig fruit. For drying of figs, the production protocol is programmed according to the demand, pass through aflatoxin control after storage stage. Figs control at least two times to sort out aflatoxin contaminated dried figs under UV lamps. During this control, other mouldy figs are also removed. Dried fig is processed in different types according to customer request (Lerida, Layer, Chocolate, Premium, Makaroni). After the stem and eye of the best quality figs are cut, they are wrapped individually and presented to customer in its special packaging. Dried figs are packed in various types according to customer’s request. All packed products pass through metal detector control.

Hybridization and introgression between two fig trees with contrasting ecological preferences.

The fig mite Aceria ficus (Cotte, 1920) (Acari: Eriophyidae) is a serious pest and virus vector of fig trees and the damage caused by this mite can significantly reduce fruit yield and quality. Environmental temperature, being a significant abiotic factor, is essential in pest biology and development and must be considered in pest management strategies, as it highly affects the population of these ectothermic arthropods and may worsen the pest status of a species. In this study, different life history traits of the fig mite were assessed at three constant temperatures (22, 26, and 30°C) on fig leaves. All juvenile stages of the mite showed faster development as the temperature increased from 22 to 30°C. Female development took the longest at 22°C, lasting 27.21 days, followed by 26°C with 24.1 days, and was shortest at 30°C with 21.14 days. The highest fecundity (20.32 eggs/female) and oviposition period (11.97days) were obtained at 30°C, whilst the lowest were observed at 22°C (14.66 eggs/female, and 10.12 days). Furthermore, the highest net reproductive rate (R0) and intrinsic rate of increase (r) were recorded at 30°C (9.87 eggs/individual and 0.176 day-1, respectively). These results indicate that the optimal temperature for the growth of the fig mite population is approximately 30°C. They have implications for managing this mite vector and can be used in developing pest management strategies or predicting the population growth and dynamics of A. ficus on fig trees.

Fig viruses are major challenges for fig production, and may be widely present in Croatia. A survey was carried out to determine the most economically important viruses of fig trees in the South Croatian Adriatic Region, by analyzing 28 fig genotypes from field sites and a national fig collection. Using RT-PCR and specific primers, five viruses were detected, including: fig badnavirus 1 (FBV-1) in all the assessed samples, fig mosaic virus (FMV) (55% of samples), fig leaf mottle-associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1) (44%), fig fleck-associated virus (FFkaV) (17%), and fig mild mottle-associated virus (FMMaV) (10% of samples). Most of the sampled trees were infected by multiple viruses, and only five harbored only FBV-1. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of two representative sequences for each of these viruses confirmed their identities and showed close relationships with Mediterranean isolates, indicating their regional dissemination. This study has provided new information of fig virus presence in the South Croatian Adriatic Region, is the first to report prevalence of FLMaV-1, FMMaV and FFkaV in Croatian fig germplasm, and to determine virus phylogenetic relationships. Virus monitoring in fig plantations and in certified propagation material, and integrated disease management strategies, are required to protect fig production in Croatia.

ABSTRACT Ficus (fig) plants are one of the most important food sources in tropical and subtropical areas. While studies have investigated fig-bird interactions, the knowledge for Taiwan is comparatively modest. Therefore, the goal of this study was to learn more about the natural history of avian frugivores in urban fig trees in Taiwan using observational surveys. During almost 250h of observation, we recorded the species richness and prevalence of birds in 33 fig trees. Visitation rates of fig trees were related to fruit abundance and time of day. Furthermore, we showed that bird species richness in urban fig trees was lower than in non-urban fig trees, and that the few species which dominated in urban fig trees were a small subset of the native and introduced bird species found in the surrounding urban bird communities. Since we observed a relatively high prevalence of introduced bird species in fig trees, we suggest that the year-round availability of figs is an additional factor for introduced bird species to be able to successfully establish themselves. Thus, fig trees appear to be an important resource for urban frugivorous birds and especially for introduced bird species which are already familiar with figs from their native countries.

Abstract Ficus carica L . (fig tree) has been widely grown worldwide for its economic value or as an ornamental plant due to its desirable taste and easiness of cultivation in both tropical and subtropical climates. On the other hand, container gardening is one of simple methods by growing fig trees in a pottery or a left-over container. However, regular maintenance for urban settings is often ineffective, increasing the risk of dehydration, rusting, or death of the trees. Further, manual watering tends to waste more water since it lacks precise control over quantity, timing, and distribution. Thus, the study aim was to create an IoT-based system to automatically manage container gardening of fig trees in urban areas, ensuring optimal gardening practices and precise watering to minimize water waste. The system was developed using open-source software and cost-effective devices, that were supported by a sustainable energy supply from the solar panel. Soil humidity and air temperature sensors were connected to the control circuit and were accompanied by an easy-to-use mobile application through a re-mote server. The mobile application enables users to receive important data from the IoT device.

ABSTRACT This article delves into discussions around the global novel through a poetic and material analysis of The Island of Missing Trees (2021) by British‐Turkish writer Elif Shafak. Internationally acclaimed, the novel's central plot is a love story set in 1974 Nicosia (Cyprus) between Kostas, a Greek Cypriot, and Defne, a Turkish Cypriot, who secretly meet amidst the political violence of a divided city, against the backdrop of golden beaches, climbing bougainvilleas, and stuffed vine leaves. I argue that the narrative tension between locality and globality mediated by a cosmopolitan writer like Shafak is one of the fundamental strategies for the novel's global legibility, circulation, and reception. First, I analyze its narrative strategies—articulated through multiple points of view (including that of a fig tree), a multiscale narrative construction (temporal, spatial, but also non‐human), and a picturesque production of the local (Cypriot) and the regional (Mediterranean)—to problematize the mechanisms of internationalization in the novel. Second, I question how the novel thematically participates in popular global discourses such as humanitarianism or environmentalism. Finally, I consider the circulation and reception assumptions around the novel in Western English‐language media.

The influence of Ficus extends beyond its numbers (800 species), and fig trees are often key-stone species in their habitats. Ficus fills many tropical forest niches. The past 15 years have witnessed an explosion of research in Ficus, and its obligate mutualists in the chalcid family Agaonidae, but also on its wider community of interactants. Long-standing ideas have been challenged and pathways to speciation have been explored. We aim to stimulate collegiate discussion: why are there not more species of fig? Here we critically review the literature relating to diversification in Ficus, while presenting a synthetic overview of our current understanding and knowledge gaps. We illustrate key concepts with well-studied groups of Ficus and other obligate mutualisms. Our review is unapologetically detailed and includes extensive botanical insight that is frequently over-looked in the literature. We draw on these details to develop hypotheses relating to the origin of diversity within the genus Ficus. We argue that the fig itself represents a new niche and explore the implications of sexual and vegetative traits in driving diversification (species richness) and diversity (in the ecological sense). An increasingly stable backbone phylogeny and the availability of genomic nuclear and chloroplast data has shed dappled light upon the deep evolutionary past. Incidences of potential diversification through introgression exist, but we must be cautious as the tools used were not always suitable for revealing ancient hybridization. An asymmetric genetic sampling of figs and wasps has further influenced our concepts of host specificity in the genus. Our comparative approach evaluates classical models of speciation in Ficus, concluding that adaptive radiations on islands have triggered diversification. We should maintain global research networks and sample widely. It is tempting to over generalise results. This leads to misconceptions and missing puzzle pieces. Further, adopting standard protocols ensures connectivity.

This study explores how contemporary literature writes with trees, rather than merely about them, attending to the entangled lives of humans and nonhumans. Drawing on ecofeminist perspectives, it examines how storytelling can foster care, attention, and ethical imagination in multispecies worlds. The analysis focuses on three novels: Elif Şafak’s The Island of Missing Trees , Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Word for World Is Forest , and Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer . Each text employs different writing strategies against anthropocentrism. In Şafak, a fig tree witnesses and remembers alongside human characters; in Le Guin, the Athshe forest enacts a collective consciousness that resists human mastery; and in Kingsolver, chestnut trees participate in relational ecologies that intertwine with Appalachian human and nonhuman lives. Across these narratives, trees are not passive symbols but active, communicating participants that co-create the worlds they inhabit. The authors employ three key strategies for multispecies care. First, affective intimacy draws readers into close, empathetic encounters with nonhumans without projecting human consciousness onto them. Second, temporal layering and attention to collective memory situate human and nonhuman lives within shared histories and ecological rhythms. Third, ethical engagement with nonhuman suffering allows literature to recognize damage and loss in nonhumans, fostering moral reflection and interspecies responsibility. Through these strategies, this study demonstrates how writing with trees can function as a multispecies practice of attention, care, and ethical imagination, offering a framework for understanding literature as a site of relational and ecological engagement.

This paper presented the synthesis and characterization of manganese-magnesium (Mn–Mg) binary oxide nanoparticles (NPs), utilizing environmentally safe aqua extracts of the leaves of the West African native plant Ficus exasperata, which is rich phytochemicals. It presents a sustainable and eco-friendly approach for heavy metal remediation of spent engine oil (SEO) contaminated soil. The phytochemical-mediated synthesis yielded highly crystalline Mn-Mg NPs possessing a high surface area (281.992 m²/g), consistent size distribution (92.65 nm), and a more uniform particle size (PDI = 0.208), as confirmed by FTIR, XRD, BET, SEM-EDS, and DLS analyses. The NPs demonstrated exceptional efficacy in immobilizing heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Fe, Cu and Cr) in contaminated soil, with the highest reductions observed in the exchangeable (>80% for Fe, Cu and Ni, ~60% for Cr), carbonate-bound (50–100%), and Fe-Mn oxide-bound fractions (>60% for Ni, Cr and Cu). Mechanistic studies revealed that adsorption, oxidation, and co-precipitation were key processes driving metal immobilization. ANOVA analyses confirmed considerable difference between the rise in NPs concentration and percentage reduction of heavy metals (HM) in the remediation experiment (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the Mn–Mg binary oxide NPs, which were produced using environmentally friendly and sustainable method, have a high surface reactivity and metal binding capability, which makes them good options for in-situ remediation of soil affected by HM.

The botanical family Moraceae, which includes important and well-known species such as the Mulberry (Morus alba, Morus nigra), the Fig tree (Ficus carica) and the Breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis, Artocarpus heterophyllus), has a large number of wild representatives in our territory; in fact, it is usually the second most abundant arboreal group in the tropical rainforests of Peru, after the Leguminosae. The genus Ficus, with more than 60 native peruvian species, has been already treated in Flora Ilustrada Peruana (Reynel, 2024). The present treatment complements it, presenting the native (70 species) and cultivated (5 species: Artocarpus altilis, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Castilla elastica, Morus alba, Morus nigra) of Moraceae of the country. They are mostly distributed in the lowland Amazonian humid forests, with an exclusive endemic species from Peru (Perebea longepedunculata), six endemic taxa between Peru-Ecuador (Dorstenia umbricola, Perebea guianensis subsp. pseudopeltata, Pseudolmedia gentryi y Sorocea sprucei subsp. subumbellata), one between Peru-Bolivia (Dorstenia peruviana), and one between PeruBrazil (Naucleopsis riparia). A good percentage of the species have fruits edible for humans; several have valuable timber; others play an essential role in providing food for the maintenance of wildlife in forests and natural environments. In the same tenor of previous publications in this series, the existing species are shown including detailed descriptions and illustrations, as well as their updated nomenclature, and information on their distribution and uses, with information based upon examination of more than 1200 botanical specimens.

Background: This study concerns a qualitative and quantitative inventory of fig tree (Ficus carica L.) invertebrates in the Tigzirt region (Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria), the aim of which is to identify the species associated with the fig tree, their abundance and their ecological role. Methods: Three sampling methods were used; Barber pots, yellow traps and the Japanese umbrella. The work is carried out over one year (October 2022 to September 2023). Result: 505 individuals were captured, divided into 78 species belonging to 4 zoological classes. A total richness of 58 species obtained with the Barber pots, 39 with the yellow traps and 15 with the Japanese umbrella. The Shannon indices obtained are 4.559 bits for Barber pots, 4.437 bits for the yellow traps and 3.584 bits for the Japanese umbrella. The equitability is 0.774 for Barber pots, 0.835 for aerial traps and 0.913 for the Japanese umbrella. 7 trophic behaviors were observed in invertebrates captured with the use of Barber pots where predators are best represented with 29%, with aerial traps and the Japanese umbrella, 6 trophic behaviors are noted for each where pollinators are best represented with 51% and 40% respectively.

An insect species is considered invasive if it is non-native, introduced either intentionally or unintentionally, and poses or is likely to pose environmental, economic, or human-related harm. An invasion is completed in four steps. These are an introduction, establishment, spread, and naturalization. During the faunistic research in September 2024 in Bahçeköy-Sarıyer to determine insect species, a species belonging to the Curculionidae family, which attracted attention with its size, was seen on a fig tree. Ten adult beetles were caught, placed in plastic containers, and brought to the laboratory. Through laboratory examination and literature review, it was identified that the species is Aclees taiwanensis Kôno, 1933 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae). Although it prefers Ficus carica L. as its primary host, it also occurs on F. benjamina L., F. microcarpa L.f., F. pandurata Hance, and F. retusa L. species. A. taiwanensis native distribution area is Taiwan. It was introduced to France, Italy, Slovenia, and Poland. This study reports A. taiwanensis for the first time in Türkiye. It is not inside the List of Agricultural Quarantine Species, Republic of Türkiye, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Since Türkiye ranks first in the world in fig production, it is necessary to investigate the distribution areas of this species and start eradication efforts.

ABSTRACTFig–wasp coevolution has been extensively studied as a fascinating case of extreme plant–insect codiversification, yet little is known about how fig trees reproduce without pollinating fig wasps. This study provides direct evidence that fig trees sustain their populations by producing polyploid and polyembryonic seeds through apomixis without fig wasp pollination. We report herein that the seeds of unpollinated Ficus gasparriniana are derived from adventitious embryos formed in the nucellar tissues and show sporophytic apomixis. Apomixis is an important reproductive mode of F. gasparriniana, which has diverse pedigree sources. Flow cytometry combined with chromosome counting and short tandem repeat typing results showed that apomixis in F. gasparriniana was closely related to polyploidy, suggesting that sexual reproduction occurred at the diploid level and apomixis occurred at the polyploid level. Thus, other polyploid Ficus species may also exhibit apomictic reproduction. This study provides essential data for advancing research on apomixis in Ficus and its role in the coevolution of fig–wasp mutualism.

The Mediterranean fig (Ficus carica L.) is a dioecious fruit tree of high nutritional and economic value in the Mediterranean basin. In northern Morocco, phenological desynchronization between male and female fig trees limits pollination and production. This study aimed to characterize the phenological stages of indigenous fig and caprifig varieties using the BBCH scale and to evaluate the predictive capacity of artificial neural networks (ANNs). This study was conducted in the Bni Ahmed region over two consecutive years (2021 and 2022) at two sites. At each site, a total of 80 female fig trees were selected. Caprifig trees were selected in accordance with their availability (37 trees/site 1; 24 trees/site 2). Local meteorological data were incorporated into the analysis to evaluate the influence of climatic conditions on phenological stages. Our results revealed significant effects of temperature, humidity, and rainfall on phenological dynamics, along with a clear inter-varietal variability and pronounced desynchronization between male and female fig trees. Early-ripening caprifig varieties showed limited pollination efficiency, whereas late-ripening varieties were better synchronized with the longer receptivity period of female fig trees. Importantly, the ANN model demonstrated exceptional predictive performance (R2 up to 0.985, RMSE < 1 day), serving as a robust and practical tool for forecasting key phenological stages and minimizing potential yield losses. These findings demonstrate the value of combining phenological monitoring with AI-based modeling to improve adaptive management of fig orchards under Mediterranean climate change. This is the first study in Morocco to implement such an integrated approach to fig and caprifig trees.