Evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of different leaves crude extracts of Omani Ficus carica against food borne pathogenic bacteria

ObjectiveTo prepare different polarities crude extract from the leaves of Ficus carica and to evaluate their antioxidant and antimicrobial potential against food borne pathogenic bacterial strains.MethodsThe dried leaves were macerated in absolute ethanol for one week. The ethanol was evaporated and the crude extract was defatted with ethanol-water. The defatted hydro alcoholic crude extract was successively extracted with hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate. The antioxidant potential was determined against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Evaluation of antimicrobial potential of different crude extracts against selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria by agar disc diffusion method.ResultsThe total extraction yield was 2.2%. The highest extraction yield was in chloroform and the lowest in hexane. The antioxidant results were found in the order of hydro alcoholic>ethyl acetate>hexane>chloroform. Hydro alcoholic crude extract and its derived fractions display moderate antimicrobial potential against the selected bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escheichia coli and Pseudomonas, in the range of 0%–13%.ConclusionsIt is concluded that the hydro alcoholic and ethyl acetate crude extracts of Ficus carica possess very good antioxidant and antimicrobial potential.