As we’re in Turkey, we opted to add some slices of pastırma to our figs with blue cheese and walnuts. Prevent cancer cell formation because figs (especially dried figs) are a very good source of antioxidants. Figs also contain small amounts of a wide variety of nutrients, but they’re particularly rich in copper and vitamin B6. LC-MS/MS was conducted with a Sciex QTRAP® 5500 triple quadruple MS/MS (Sciex, Foster City, CA, USA) coupled with an Agilent 1290 binary UHPLC (Agilent Technologies, Waldbronn, Germany). The chromatographic conditions were strictly followed as described elsewhere (Sulyok et al. 2020). Quantification And we wanted to enjoy the figs in their raw state. Experimenting with cooking them can be saved for another time.

Figs may improve blood pressure and blood fat levels, which can help improve your vascular health and decrease your risk of heart disease. The edible mature syconium develops into a fleshy false fruit bearing the numerous one-seeded fruits, which are technically drupelets. [8] The whole fig fruit is 3–5cm (1–2in) long, with a green skin that sometimes ripens toward purple or brown. Ficus carica has milky sap produced by laticifer cells. The sap of the green parts is an irritant to human skin. [9] Habitat [ edit ] Mountain fig tree in Zibad You may also notice a white powder on some dried figs. This is called bloom. The bloom is rich in nutrients, and it is one of the precious features of high quality figs. Eric Brandon Roberts (2012). The Parables of Jesus Christ:: A Brief Analysis. Booktango. ISBN 978-1-4689-0880-0. Senyuva HJ, Gilbert J, Ozcan S, Ulken U (2005) Survey for co-occurrence of ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1 in dried figs in Turkey by using a single laboratory-validated alkaline extraction method for ochratoxin A. J Food Prot 2005:68,1512–68,1515Kojic acid is notable with respect to the large quantities that have been found in dried figs with increasing levels consistent with the extent of fungal contamination. Kojic acid is an organic acid and is a secondary metabolite produced by several species of Aspergillus such as A. oryzae, A. tamarri, A. parasiticus, and A. flavus (Rosfarizan et al. 2010). The quantification of kojic acid eluting as a broad peak early in the ion chromatogram was achieved in LC-MS/MS although the sensitivity was poor (LOD = 20 μg/kg) but amounts present were very high. Kojic acid was detected in all individual figs with levels of a few hundred μg/kg in figs categorized as being uncontaminated or with low contamination through to intensely fluorescent figs having substantial levels with a maximum of 3750 mg/kg in one fig (number I-71-18) equating to 0.375% kojic acid by weight. The full data set for levels of kojic acid can be found in Table S2. The bright greenish-yellow fluorescence on the surface of dried has been suggested to be due both to kojic acid and to a fluorescent compound produced by peroxidase in the plant (Doster and Michailides 1998; Hruska et al. 2014). Therefore, fungi other than those which are aflatoxigenic which produce kojic acid may also show fluorescence. The fact that fluorescence is not exclusively correlated with aflatoxins has the benefit from a food safety perspective that figs which do not contain significant aflatoxin B 1, but do contain other toxins such as NPA, OTA, or TeA, would nevertheless still be rejected after hand-sorting under UV light. Calibration was based on external calibration using standards prepared in neat solvent. The results were corrected for apparent recoveries. Multiquant® 3.0.2 was used for data processing. Method performance There is a diverse range of minerals found in these dried fruits, which can be good news for those looking to protect their bone density. As you age, your body pulls minerals from the bones, resulting in weak joints and increasing your risk of osteoporosis; fruits like this can slow down that process. [5] Blood Pressure

Fig leaves and natural latex from fig plants have been shown to exhibit antitumor activity against human colon cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and liver cancer cells ( 17, 18, 19, 20). Brown Turkey figs ( Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’) are sweet, delicious fruits that have rusty red to purplish skin and richly toned pink flesh. The trees are suited for a Mediterranean climate and produce prolifically, which in some areas makes them invasive. Brown turkey fig trees are quite commonly available, as they have a zone tolerance of USDA 7 to 11. Even gardeners with relatively short growing seasons should be able to harvest some of the candy-like fruits. Karaca H, Nas S (2006) Aflatoxins, patulin and ergosterol contents of dried figs in Turkey, Food Addit. Contam. 23:502–508 There have been a few studies focused on analyzing individual figs (Steiner et al. 1988; Şenyuva et al. 2008a) and only recent interest in the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in figs. Senyuva et al. ( 2005) reported the co-occurrence of aflatoxins with ochratoxin A (OTA) in dried figs and Karaca and Nas ( 2006) first reported patulin in aflatoxin-contaminated figs. A significant advancement in the identification of fungal metabolites has been achieved by the application of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Applying LC-TOF-MS for mycotoxin analysis, about 50% of 52 individual figs were contaminated with OTA, aflatoxins B 1, B 2, G 1, and G 2; zearalenone, fumonisin B 2 (FB2); and HT-2 toxin (Senyuva and Gilbert 2008). It should be noted that because of the high degree of heterogeneity of contamination of individual dried figs, mycotoxin levels reported in homogenized samples should not be directly compared with levels in individual figs.Sweeney MJ, Dobson ADW (1999) Molecular biology of mycotoxin biosynthesis. FEMS Microbiol Lett 175:149–163 Many believed that figs were the super fruit of all time in the Ancient Greek world. Are Turkish Figs Good for You? A large raw Brown Turkey fig has two grams of fibre, aiding digestion and reducing cholesterol. Fresh Brown Turkey figs, with their fluffy texture and honeyed taste, contrast with the drier versions. A ripe Brown Turkey fig has a luxuriously sweet taste reminiscent of hazelnuts. Best relished from early spring to winter, the fig's consistency alters as winter deepens, becoming less suitable for cooking. Alma figs Late- spring fruitlets, which form on the current season’s growth, don’t generally have time to ripen in the UK outdoors. Our summers are usually too short and cool. So by the end of summer, remove any fruits that are larger than pea-sized, as they will only shrivel and rot. Even if they overwinter intact, they won’t continue growing next year. However, they may ripen on plants grown under cover all year round The common fig is grown for its edible fruit throughout the temperate world. It is also grown as an ornamental tree, and in the UK the cultivars 'Brown Turkey' [27] and 'Ice Crystal' (mainly grown for its unusual foliage) [28] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [29]

EC- European Commission (2006a) Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 of 23 February 2006 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of the levels of mycotoxins in foodstuffs. Off J Eur Union, L70/12–34 Figs were widespread in ancient Greece, and their cultivation was described by both Aristotle and Theophrastus. Aristotle noted two types of figs, the cultivated fig that bears fruit and the wild fig that assists the other to bear fruit. Aristotle recorded that the fruits of the wild fig contain psenes ( fig wasps); these begin life as larvae, and the adult psen splits its "skin" (pupa) and flies out of the fig to find and enter a cultivated fig, saving it from dropping. Theophrastus observed that just as date palms have male and female flowers, and that farmers (from the East) help by scattering "dust" from the male onto the female, and as a male fish releases his milt over the female's eggs, so Greek farmers tie wild figs to cultivated trees. They do not say directly that figs reproduce sexually, however. [19]

IARC- International Agency for Research on Cancer (1987) Monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risks to humans. Overall evaluations of carcinogenicity: an updating of IARC Monographs 1987, 1 -42, Suppl 7, 449 pp For individual figs, the samples for 2017 were coded based on expert manual screening under UV light with U indicating uncontaminated, L = low contamination, M = medium contamination, and I = intense fluorescence and therefore assumed to be highly contaminated. All contaminated figs showed evidence of bright greenish-yellow fluorescence on the surface, but it was a subjective decision as to whether this constituted L, M, or I contamination. For 2018 harvest, only figs classified as U or I were selected for analysis. Each fig has its own unique identification number. AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p.39 . Retrieved 27 February 2018. In 1769, Spanish missionaries led by Junipero Serra brought the first figs to California. The Mission variety, which they cultivated, is still popular. [24] The fact that it is parthenocarpic (self-pollinating) made it an ideal cultivar for introduction. [ citation needed] Son, J. H.; Jin, H.; You, H. S.; Shim, W. H.; Kim, J. M.; Kim, G. W.; Kim, H. S.; Ko, H. C.; Kim, M. B.; Kim, B. S. (February 2017). "Five Cases of Phytophotodermatitis Caused by Fig Leaves and Relevant Literature Review". Annals of Dermatology. 29 (1): 86–90. doi: 10.5021/ad.2017.29.1.86. PMC 5318534. PMID 28223753.

In the Northern Hemisphere, fresh figs are in season from August through to early October. Fresh figs used in cooking should be plump and soft, and without bruising or splits. If they smell sour, the figs have become over-ripe. Slightly under-ripe figs can be kept at room temperature for 1–2 days to ripen before serving. Figs are most flavorful at room temperature. [42] Nutrition [ edit ] Fig, raw Vitamin C is a key component of any immune system, as it can stimulate the production of white blood cells and strengthen your defenses against various infections and foreign pathogens. The other antioxidants in these fruits can further reduce the workload on your immune system. [7] Chronic Disease Beyaz peynir (Turkish white cheese similar to feta) and hellim (halloumi) made it to the list for consideration. McGovern, Thomas W.; Barkley, Theodore M. (2000). "Botanical Dermatology". The Electronic Textbook of Dermatology. Internet Dermatology Society. 37 (5). Section Phytophotodermatitis. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-4362.1998.00385.x. PMID 9620476. S2CID 221810453 . Retrieved November 29, 2018.The highest quality fig fruit comes from the 38 N Aydin Mountain area in Turkey. Aydin Mountain is adjacent to the Aegean Sea, where the sea wind and long sunshine duration make it one of the best fig production areas. However, this doesn’t mean that eating figs or drinking fig leaf tea will exert the same effects. Test-tube studies offer a promising starting point, but human studies are needed to assess how ingesting figs or fig leaves affects cancer growth. May promote healthy skin Established fig trees may also need ongoing watering, especially in hot weather. Those growing at the base of a wall or fence may be sheltered from the rain, so give them additional water whenever the soil is dry. Fig trees with their roots restricted, either within vertical paving slabs or a container sunk into the ground, can’t extend their roots in search of moisture, so may need watering in dry spells too