Ficus, commonly known as figs, is a genus of around 900 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines and vines of the Moraceae family. It is estimated to be one of the oldest existing plants species, dating back to almost 60 million years. Native to the tropical region, figs are often considered to be source of edible fruits in forests. Distinctive pollination process of figs is carried out by fig wasps of Agaonidae family. The fruits from different species of Ficus are consumed for their nutritional value while some species also play important roles in major religions. Apart from its prevalent socio-economic context the species has been widely used for its diverse phytochemical composition. The genus has been reported to be rich source of secondary metabolites including phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, sugars, glycosides, and phytosterols among others. Figs are often associated with treatment and management of different human ailments, while some traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda or the Chinese system of medicine have explicitly explored its biological potential. Ficus, often used in the management of certain metabolic, cardiovascular, oxidative stress, inflammation, and infectious diseases, have extensively explored for its cytotoxic and antiviral potential by the researchers through the world. Exploration of the genus has brought light onto the effective nature of the phytoconstituents in management of diabetes mellitus, hepatotoxicity, inflammatory diseases, different types of cancer, and other pathological conditions. Recent studies have followed the trend of isolating phytochemicals from the different species of Ficus in the quest for finding lead molecules with multiple mechanistic targets and preparing formulations from them. This plenary session will aim to provide an insight on the historical value, economic importance, ethno-pharmacological findings, current scenario and future scope for the species along with my own association with the genus for almost last three decades.

Keywords: Figs, Ficus, Ethnopharmacology, Drug discovery, Phytochemistry