Assessment of the In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Ficus alba and Ficus carica Latex

Objective: Ficus alba and Ficus carica, both belonging to the Moraceae family, have been utilized in traditional medicine for many years due to their antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. In the present study, the antimicrobial activities of latex samples from Ficus alba and Ficus carica were evaluated against various microorganisms, including the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 70063), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Acinetobacter baumannii (ATCC 17978). Additionally, the study assessed the activity against Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), as well as the yeast-like fungus Candida albicans (ATCC 10231). Methods: Both of the latex samples were collected from the south-western region of Türkiye. The microbial inoculums were adjusted according to the McFarland 0.5 standard and antimicrobial activity was assessed according to the standard disc diffusion method of European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Results: Both types of latex samples of Ficus sp. exhibited strong antimicrobial activity. The most potent antimicrobial activity was observed against C. albicans (15.3 mm). The strongest antibacterial activity was observed against E. coli (13.3 mm) among the six different bacterial species tested, while the weakest antibacterial effect was observed against A. baumannii (8.3 mm). The antimicrobial activity of F. carica latex was found to be more potent than that of F. alba latex. Conclusion: The findings support the potential use of this latex as natural antimicrobial agents, particularly in the battle against pathogens that are developing antibiotic resistance. It is recommended that further investigation be conducted into the phytochemical components of these plants and latex, with a view to their potential future use in the pharmaceutical industry.