Phytochemical and pharmacological study of Ficus cordata growing in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Phytochemical study of the aerial parts of Ficus cordata utilizing liquid-liquid fractionation and different chromatographic techniques resulted in the isolation of four furanocoumarins: psoralene (1), hydroxy isoimperatorin (2), oxypeucedanin hydrate (3) and dorsteniol (4), the flavone glycoside rutin (5), b-sitosterol and sucrose. Structures of the isolated compounds were established through physical, 1D- and 2D-NMR and MS data. The total extract of the plant was examined in vivo for its possible effects as hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, antiulcer and anticoagulant in comparison with standard drugs. Hepatoprotective activitys were accessed via serum biochemical parameters including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin. Tissue parameters such as non-protein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH), malonaldehyde (MDA) and total protein (TP) were also measured. In addition to tissue parameters, nephroprotective effect was evaluated by measuring the serum levels of sodium, potassium, creatinine and urea. Histopathological study for both liver and kidney cells was also conducted. Antiulcer activity was explored by observing stomach lesions after treatment with ethanol. Whole blood clotting time (CT) was taken as measure for the anticoagulant activity of the extract. All the studied parameters indicated that the total extract of Ficus cordata at 500mg/kg possess moderate hepatoprotective effect, good protection against ethanol induced ulcer and weak nephroprotective effect. The CT was about one quarter of that of warfarin.