An Investigation of Ficus Platyphylla Delile: Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity, Chemical Composition, and Molecular Docking Study

Abstract Ficus platyphylla is a deciduous species that has long been regarded for its medicinal benefits. Different components of the plant, such as the leaves, stem, bark, and roots, are utilized in the treatment of conditions including psychosis, inflammation, epilepsy, and depression. Pathogenic bacteria in the modern world are constantly developing resistance to several drugs that are used to help them navigate the challenges they encounter in the human body. The current study aimed to investigate the antioxidant properties, chemical composition, antimicrobial effects, and molecular docking of F. platyphylla . The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging activity, and proximate analysis of F. platyphylla leaves were evaluated. A computational ( in‐silico ) analysis was performed to assess the antibacterial efficacy of isolated phytochemicals against four bacterial proteins that were identified through in‐vitro experiments. The ethanol treatment had the highest total soluble solids, with a value of 2.5°Brix. The physicochemical parameters of F. platyphylla were most affected by pH and moisture content in the methanol treatment, with values of 2.9 and 15.8%, respectively. The n‐hexane extract showed the highest TPC (70.5 mg/g GAE) and TFC (210.5 mg g −1 QE) and 70.5% inhibition of DPPH. The inhibition zones of the bacterial isolates varied from 13 to 17 mm. Most of the phytochemicals exhibited significant inhibition activity, displaying a binding affinity score below −6.0 kcal mol −1 . Computational prediction of antibacterial activity showed that 38 compounds extracted from F. platyphylla had an inhibitory effect on 39 bacterial species. The results indicate that extracts from F. platyphylla exhibit significant antibacterial properties. Among these compounds, heptadecyl ester dichloroacetic acid showed the highest antibacterial activity, with a Pa value > 0.9 against a wide range of bacteria. The in‐silico study showed consistency with the in vitro study, as the phytochemicals had the highest binding scores against proteins found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae .