<em>In Vitro</em> Evaluation of the Chemical Composition and Various Biological Activities of <em>Ficus carica</em> Leaf Extracts

Mustafa Ergül

Merve Ergül

Nuraniye Eruygur

Mehmet Ataş

Esra Uçar

^{Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biochemistry, Sivas, Turkey}

^{Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Sivas, Turkey}

^{Selçuk University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Konya, Turkey}

^{Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Microbiology, Sivas, Turkey}

^{Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas Vocational School, Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Sivas, Turkey}

* Address for Correspondence: Phone: +90 555 691 46 67 E-mail:rt.moc.oohay@lugre.m

Received 2018 Jun 20; Accepted 2018 Jul 25.

Abstract

Objectives:

The present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory activities of enzymes related to diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer’s disease of the methanol and water extracts of Ficus carica leaf extracts. The bioactive compounds and anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects of the extracts were also investigated.

Materials and Methods:

The bioactive compounds in the extracts were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, total phenol and flavonoid content, ferric reducing power, and iron chelating method. The anticancer, anticholinesterase, and antimicrobial effects were investigated using the XTT assay, Ellman method, and microdilution, respectively.

Results:

Our results showed that between the water and methanol extracts there was a difference in terms of chemical composition. The antioxidant results suggested that both extracts have strong antioxidant activity. Similarly, both extracts showed strong α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition activity, while the water extract had higher inhibition activity than the methanol extract against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. The methanol extract of F. carica exhibited significant anticancer activity on MDA-MB-231 cells and showed moderate antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that F. carica leaves could be a valuable source for developing a promising therapeutic agent in cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Keywords: Ficus carica, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, antioxidant activity, anticancer and antimicrobial activities

Objectives:

Materials and Methods:

Results:

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that F. carica leaves could be a valuable source for developing a promising therapeutic agent in cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

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