Determination of Chemical Composition, and Antiradical and Antimicrobial Capacities of Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Ficus johannis Boiss.

Introduction: Ficus johannis Boiss. is a shrubby species in the family Moracae, exclusively found in Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. This research studies the total phenolic content, flavonoid concentrations, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity of this biologically unknown species. Materials and Methods: The plant materials were gathered from the northern slope of Taftan Mountain in Sistan and Baluchestan, in the summer of 2022. After washing, drying, grinding, and obtaining hydroalcoholic extracts of the fruits and leaves, the quantification of the phenolic and flavonoid concentrations was done spectrophotometrically utilizing the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric techniques. The anti-radical activity of the organs was assayed via the DPPH protocol and their antimicrobial effects were assessed using the broth microdilution and streak plate techniques against six bacterial, and three fungal pathogens. Results: The phenolic compounds were found to be evenly distributed in both leaf and fruit extracts (around 1000 µg GAE/g dry extract) while flavonoids were detected in significantly higher concentrations in the fruit extract (541.17 vs 427.24 µg QrE/g dry extract). The leaf extract was better at scavenging free radicals compared to the fruit extract (IC50 93.79 vs 239.62 μg/ml, respectively), while, both extracts showed higher IC50 values than the positive control. The leaf extract showed better inhibitory effects on the tested microorganisms compared to the fruit extract. The leaf extract was effective against all tested bacteria, whereas, among the investigated fungi, only Aspergillus fumigatus was vulnerable to it. Conversely, the fruit extract was able to prevent the growth of all investigated fungal strains, but only two bacterial strains (Streptococcus pyogenes and Klebsiella pneumonia) were affected by it. Conclusion: The Ficus johannis fruits and leaves are great sources of phenolic and flavonoid compounds with moderate anti-radical capacity. Moreover, the fruit extract mainly contains antifungal ingredients while the leaf extract chiefly includes antibacterial agents