BIOACTIVITY OF CERTAIN EGYPTIAN FICUS SPECIES

The fruit extracts of Ficus sycomorus L., F. benjamina L., F. bengalen sis L. and F. religiosa L. were screened for bioactivity. F. bengalens is and F. religiosa demonstrated activity in the brine shrimp test (Ar temia salina) which indicates toxicity, whereas F. sycomorus and F. be njamina showed no activity. All the fruit extracts exhibited antitumor activity in the potato disc bioassay. None of the tested extracts sho wed any marked inhibition on the uptake of calcium into rat pituitary cells GH(4)C(1). The extracts of the four tested Ficus species had sig nificant antibacterial activity, but no antifungal activity. The resul ts of this preliminary investigation support the traditional use of th ese plants in folk medicine for respiratory disorders and certain skin diseases.