Fig

I. INTRODUCTION Fig is one of the oldest cultivated fruits. It has a symbiotic relationship with insects for fruit setting. The fleshy fruit is consumed fresh or in processed form, the dried form being the most popular. It can also be canned or used for candy or jam making. It is delicious, wholesome, and nutritious fruit. Figs are a good source of carbohydrates, including fiber. The fruits are rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Fresh or dried, they are valued for laxative properties. Medicinal uses such as applications against boils and other skin infections have also been attributed to this fruit (1,2). Fig helps to maintain the acid-alkali balance of the body by very effectively neutralizing excess acid (3,4). Steam distillate of the fruit contains benzaldehyde, which has shown considerable antitumor activity (5). Leaves contain fluro-cumarins of medicinal use (6), and leaf oil contains germarene-D, an insect attractant (7). Fig latex is also useful to coagulate milk (8). Figs are grown commercially in most of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. They are also grown in the United States, although Greece, Algeria, Morocco, and Syria have become the largest producers, with 110,000, 77,000, 74,000, and 56,000 metric tonnes production, respectively (9).