Ficus carica L. is also known as anjir/anjeer in Hindi and Fig in English. It is produced in countries like Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece, California, and Brazil. It grows in hot, dry, and slightly cold climatic conditions. Figs are consumed worldwide in both dried and fresh forms. The edible part of anjeer, which is a fruit, is a receptacle, fleshy and hollow. Anjeer tree is a native plant of Asia (southwestern part) and has now spread to Europe and other parts of the world. Anjeer plays a vital role in Indian mythology as an object of worship. Anjeer tree has been known to be a rich source of food and medicine since ancient times.

Benefits of Anjeer as an Effective Antioxidant:

Anjeer consists of phenolic compounds that are beneficial to human health due to their antioxidant activity as hydrogen donators, reducing agents, singlet oxygen quenchers, free radical scavengers, etc. Studies have stated that various constituents of anjeer scavenge reactive oxygen species to prevent damage to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), lipids, and proteins.

Anticancer Benefits of Anjeer:

Cytotoxic compounds have been extracted from anjeer latex. These compounds during in vitro studies exhibited inhibition of proliferation by several cancer cell lines. Thus, anjeer latex is considered a possible inhibitor of the production and development of cancerous cells. Studies on the impact of anjeer latex on stomach cancer cell line growth demonstrate its potential antitumor effects.

Benefits of Anjeer as a Hypoglycaemic Agent:

The antidiabetic effect of the extract of Anjeer stem bark was demonstrated. It was found that the extract restored the blood glucose levels to normal. A study on diabetic rats showed that the anjeer leaf extract has a hypoglycaemic effect.

Benefits of Anjeer in Controlling Cholesterol:

Studies on anjeer leaf extract demonstrated its potential in reducing hepatic triglyceride (TG) and secretion of cholesterol (total cholesterol) and TG from the liver. The results of studies performed on animal models indicate that anjeer fruit may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Anjeer as an Antibacterial & Antifungal Agent:   

Anjeer extract demonstrated antibacterial activity against oral bacteria in a study. The effect of the extract in combination with antibiotics against oral bacteria indicated that anjeer could be used as a natural antibacterial agent. Studies also reported that the anjeer leaf extract also exhibits bactericidal activity and moderate antifungal activity.

Benefits of Anjeer Due to its Antipyretic Activity:   

Extracts of anjeer have been studied to demonstrate a reduction in body temperature and yeast-induced rise in temperature. The extract showed effects comparable to generic antipyretic drugs.

Benefits of Anjeer Against Tuberculosis:

In a study, leaf extract of anjeer was found effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tuberculosis-causing bacteria). Due to this ability, it is traditionally used in Malaysia for the management of tuberculosis.