Abstract

Ficusgenus is typically tropical plants and is among the earliest fruit trees cultivated by humans.Ficus caricaL. is the common fig,Ficus benjaminaL. is the weeping fig, andFicus pumilaL. is the creeping fig. These species are commonly used in traditional medicine for a wide range of diseases and contain rich secondary metabolites that have shown diverse applications. This comprehensive review describes forFicusgenus the phytochemical compounds, traditional uses and contemporary pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiulcer, and anticonvulsant. An extended survey of the current literature (Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed) has been carried out as part of the current work. The trends in the phytochemistry, pharmacological mechanisms and activities ofFicusgenus are overviewed in this manuscript: antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, antiseizure and anti-Parkinson's diseases, cytotoxic and antioxidant. Health-promoting effects, recent human clinical studies, safety and adverse effects ofFicusplants also are covered. The medical potential and long-term pharmacotherapeutic use of the genusFicusalong with no serious reported adverse events, suggests that it can be considered as being safe.