Abstract

ON OVERVIEW OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS AND MEDICINAL ACTIVITY OF FICUS RELIGIOSA

V. Kalaivani*, A. S. K. Sankar, G. Sridhar, M. Baranitharan, S. Dharshan, V. Deepakraj, A. Dhinakar, M. Divya

ABSTRACT

Ficus religiosa Linn. (Sacred fig), belonging to the family Moraceae, is a highly valued medicinal plant widely used in traditional systems of medicine, especially Ayurveda, Unani, and folk medicine. It is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and is renowned for its diverse therapeutic properties. Various parts of the plant, including leaves, bark, fruits, roots, flowers, and latex, are rich in bioactive phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, and sterols. These compounds are responsible for its broad spectrum of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti- inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-ulcer, wound healing, anticonvulsant, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. Among these, antimicrobial activity has gained significant attention due to its potential role in combating microbial infections and antimicrobial resistance.This review comprehensively summarizes the botanical description, phytochemical composition, and pharmacological properties of Ficus religiosa, with special emphasis on its antimicrobial potential. The findings support its traditional uses and highlight the need for further research on isolation of active constituents, mechanistic studies, and clinical validation to develop effective plant-based therapeutic agents.

Keywords: Ficus religiosa, Sacred fig, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological activitiy Anti- microbial activity, Medicinal plant.