The present study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity
of various extracts of young fruits of Ficus palmata Forsk. against some
Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and Candida species using the
agar well diffusion method.  Results
showed that the cold water extract had no inhibitory effect against any
tested microbes, while the hot water extract inhibited the microbial growth
(12.5%). Methanol, chloroform, petroleum ether or acetone extract of the dry
fruits inhibited microbial growth (37.5%), while diethyl ether extract
inhibition was 12.5%. Methanol extract of fresh fruitsinhibited the
microbial up to 75%. However, the chloroform and petroleum ether extracts
inhibited microbial growth by 62.5% and 37.5%, respectively. Gas Chromatogram-
Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of hexan
extract of the young fruits of Ficus palmata was carried out to identify its phytochemical constituents. Four chemical
constituents have been identified: diethyl phthalate
was the major compound (86.19%) (Retention time 16.65), and cyclohexasiloxane, dodecamethyl-, (Rt 12.77), 1,3-dimethyl-2-nitrobenzene (Rt 14.91) and benzamide (Rt
15.07) were the minor constituents (4.47, 7.96 and 1.36%, respectively). It
could be concluded that the extract
of young fresh fruits of Ficus palmata and its bioactive components, in particular diethyl phthalate, could be of phytopharmaceutical importance as an
antimicrobial agents