TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of Total Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Ripe and Unripe Fig (Ficus carica L.) Extracts Using Different Solvents AU - Doğru, Zeynep AU - Akbulut, Mehmet AU - Vatansev, Hüsamettin AU - Karakurt, Serdar PY - 2025 DA - July Y2 - 2025 DO - 10.30910/turkjans.1666602 JF - Turkish Journal of Agricultural and Natural Sciences JO - TURKJANS PB - Mevlüt AKÇURA WT - DergiPark SN - 2148-3647 SP - 574 EP - 584 VL - 12 IS - 3 LA - en AB - This study aimed to evaluate the effects of solvent polarity and fruit maturity on the antioxidant potential and total phenolic content of fig (Ficus carica L.) extracts. Unripe and ripe fig fruits collected from the Akseki district of Antalya, Türkiye, were extracted using three different solvents: ethanol, acetone, and ethyl acetate. The extraction yield, total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) were determined for each extract. In this study, extraction yield varied depending on both the type of solvent and the ripening stage of the fig. Ethanol was the most efficient solvent, particularly for ripe samples, yielding up to 80.3%. The highest TPC was observed in the ripe–acetone extract (3976.2 ± 526.5 mg GAE/kg DW), while the ripe–ethyl acetate extract exhibited the highest TAC (48.8 ± 0.87 mg AE/g DW). Antioxidant activity measured by the DPPH assay was greatest in the ripe–ethyl acetate extract (57.6 ± 10.37 mmol TE/kg DW). Among the tested extracts, the ripe–ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most favorable antioxidant properties, highlighting its potential as a promising source of bioactive compounds for functional applications. These results suggest that solvent polarity and fruit maturity interact to influence the extractability of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. Semi-polar solvents such as acetone and ethyl acetate enhanced the recovery of bioactive compounds in both unripe and ripe samples, although the effectiveness varied depending on the specific antioxidant parameter evaluated. This study provides comparative data that may contribute to the optimization of extraction strategies for developing natural antioxidant sources from fig fruits. KW - Antioxidant activity KW - Ficus carica KW - Fig KW - Phenolic content KW - Ripening stage. CR - Ayoub, L., Hassan, F., Hamid, S., Abdelhamid, Z., & Souad, A. (2019). Phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity and inhibitory potential of Ficus carica and Olea europaea leaves. Bioinformation, 15(3), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.6026/97320630015226 CR - Badgujar, S. B., Patel, V. V., Bandivdekar, A. H., & Mahajan, R. T. (2014). Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ficus carica: A review. 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