Antioxidative and antibacterial activities of phenolic compounds from <em>Ficus sur Forssk</em>. and <em>Ficus sycomorus</em> L. (Moraceae) : potential for sickle cell disease treatment in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Ficus sur and Ficus sycomorus, two medicinal species used in Burkinabe traditional medicine for the treatment of sickle cell disease were investigated. The determination of total phenolic and tannins contents, using the method of Folin-Ciocalteu (FCR), indicate values significantly (p <0.05) higher in extracts of Ficus sycomorus compared to those of Ficus sur, with respective values of 336.80 ± 0.80 mg TAE/g of extract and 203.74 ± 0.9 mg TAE/g of extract against 247.00 ± 0.52 mg TAE/g of extract and 120.8 ± 0.83 mg TAE/g of extract. Similarly, using the method of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), the results of the analysis indicate that extracts of Ficus sycomorus produce the highest antiradical activity with IC₅₀ value of 9.60 ± 0.02 μg/mL against 31.83 ± 0.55 μg/ mL for Ficus sur. The IC₅₀ value of quercetin, used as reference antioxidant, was of 4.6 ± 0.08 μg/mL. The latex of Ficus sycomorus presented the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with respective values of 0.13 mg/mL and 0.25 mg/mL. The difference in phenolic content could explain the difference in biological activity between the two Ficus species.

Keywords: drepanocitosis, radical scavenging, tannins, flavonoids, medicinal plants