ANALYSIS OF THE PROXIMATE, MINERAL COMPOSITION AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF FICUS SYCOMORUS LEAVES

constituents of Ficus sycomorus leaves to determine their nutritional and medicinal potential and to provide scientific validation for their traditional use. Fresh leaves of Ficus sycomorus were collected, air-dried, pulverized, and analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. Proximate analysis was conducted to determine moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, and carbohydrate contents following established AOAC methods. Mineral composition was assessed using appropriate analytical techniques, while qualitative phytochemical screening was performed to identify the presence of major bioactive compounds.The proximate analysis revealed low moisture (5.00%) and crude fat (0.40%) contents, moderate levels of crude protein (3.25%) and crude fibre (6.00%), and a high carbohydrate content (83.95%), indicating that the leaves are energy-rich and nutritionally beneficial. Mineral analysis showed that the leaves contain essential elements such as phosphorus (1.24%), manganese (0.70%), potassium (0.40%), calcium (0.37%), magnesium (0.18%), iron (0.16%), and zinc (0.04%), which are important for metabolic activities, enzyme function, and overall physiological well-being. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic compounds, while saponins and glycosides were absent. The findings of this study demonstrate that Ficus sycomorus leaves possess considerable nutritional value and pharmacologically relevant phytochemicals. The results support the ethnomedicinal applications of the plant and suggest its potential use in the development of herbal medicines, nutraceuticals, and functional food products. Keywords: Ficus sycomorus; proximate composition; mineral content; phytochemical screening; medicinal plants; nutraceuticals.