Bioactive Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Composite Membrane Incorporating Ficus carica Extract: Fabrication, Characterization, and Biological Assessments

This study reports the fabrication and evaluation of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/Ch) composite membranes loaded with extracts from Ficus carica peel (FPeE) and pulp (FPuE) as a platform for anticancer and antimicrobial applications. Phytochemical analysis revealed distinct and source‐dependent profiles: HPLC showed FPeE was rich in diverse polyphenols like rutin and hesperetin. At the same time, FPuE was dominated by an 8.1‐fold higher concentration of chlorogenic acid. Similarly, GC–MS identified malic acid (82.13%) and citric acid (85.64%) as the major volatiles in FPeE and FPuE, respectively. These chemical differences translated into specific biological activities. Both loaded membranes exhibited significant antibiofilm potential, with the FPeE membrane most effective against Pseudomonas fluorescens (58.67% inhibition) and the FPuE membrane most potent against Staphylococcus aureus (37.36% inhibition). Crucially, the membranes demonstrated high selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells while remaining safe for normal fibroblasts (HSF cells, IC 50 > 14 mg/mL). The FPeE membrane was particularly potent against HCT‐116 colorectal cancer cells, with an IC 50 value of 0.645 mg/mL. Mechanistic studies confirmed that the anticancer effect was mediated through apoptosis induction and metastasis suppression, validated by wound‐healing assays and a significant downregulation of MMP‐2/9 expression (up to 48.2%). Molecular docking further supported these findings, identifying rutin and hesperetin as strong inhibitors of MMPs and VEGFR‐2. In conclusion, this work establishes PVA/Ch membranes as a safe and effective delivery system for Ficus carica extracts. It demonstrates that the botanical source (peel vs. pulp) is a critical determinant of the specific antibiofilm and anticancer efficacy.