Ficus Sycomorus Case Study

1. Introduction

Medicinal plants have been used extensively as sources for numerous active constituents for treating human diseases and for its therapeutic value (Nostro et al., 2000). The use of plants in treating ailments has been known for thousands of years through the empirical knowledge gathered about the usefulness and harmful properties of different plants and by intuition. Many of these indigenous plants are used as food plants, added to food meant for pregnant women and nursing mothers for medicinal purposes (Edeoga, 2005). Hence it is very important to scientifically understand the chemical composition and bioactive constituent and the biological activity of the different plant part with regards to their usage in both orthodox and primary health care.

Ficus sycomorus (F. sycomorus) Linn belongs to the family Moraceae, comprising of about 40 genera and over 1,400 species of trees, shrubs, vine and herbs, often with milky latex juices. The plant is usually found near streams in many African countries. F. sycomorus tree grows up to 20 m with widely spreading branches and crown. F. sycomorus leaves are heart-shaped with a round apex, 14 cm long by 10 cm wide. The flowering and fruiting usually occurs from July to December and its foliage is widely consumed by sheep and cattle (Sarg et al., 2011). F. sycomorus is used in Nigeria, Niger, Mali, South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia and

sycomorus leaf extract contained various phytochemicals which confirmed the traditional use of the plant for therapeutic purposes. The presence of these phytochemicals in the extract may be responsible for the antioxidant potential of the leaf by scavenging free radicals leading to the inhibition of erythrocytes hemolysis, hemagglutination and bacterial activity. The antibacterial activity of the leaf extract against the test organisms supports its utilization in traditional medicine practice for the treatment of various