Comparative Antioxidative and Antidiabetic Activities of Ficus Carica Pulp, Peel and Leaf and their Correlation with Phytochemical Contents

Objective: Globally, there is a growing interest in the use of medicinal plants because of their potential therapeutic benefits as complementary and alternative therapies. The present study is focused on the In-vitro evaluation of antioxidative and antidiabetic activities of the peel, pulp, and leaves parts of Ficus carica, commonly called fig plant. Methods: The dried parts (peel, pulp, and leaves) of the studied plant were powdered and extracted in 70% methanol for the estimation of total phenolic contents, antioxidative and α-amylase inhibitory activities. The possible antioxidant profiles of the methanolic extracts were measured by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging assay while anti- diabetic property of different parts of the fig plant was evaluated through inhibition of α-amylase. Results: The methanolic extract of leaves showed highest potential to inhibit DPPH free radicals compared to all other parts with resultant IC50 values of pulp = 83.918 > peel = 41.846 >leaf = 17.407 μg/mL that correlate strongly with its high phenolic contents [leaf = 353.5 ˃ peel = 187.5 ˃ pulp = 62.5 (mg gallic acid equivalents/gm of dried extract)]. Anti- α-amylase activity showed that leaf extract contained highest inhibition to inhibit this enzyme among the three parts (IC50 value of pulp = 1.237 > peel = 0.899 ˃ leaf = 0.896 μg/mL). Conclusion: Fig leaves, peel and pulp can be utilized as effective remedy to control abnormal carbohydrate metabolism associated with diabetes and hyperglycemia, however further molecular studies are needed to explore the additional mechanism(s)