Antimicrobial and cytotoxic extractives from <i>Ficus sycomorus</i> L. (Moraceae)

Abstract

Our search for antimicrobial and cytotoxic leads from &lt;i&gt;Ficus sycomorus&lt;/i&gt; led to the isolation of twenty-four known compounds (&lt;b&gt;1&lt;/b&gt;‒&lt;b&gt;24&lt;/b&gt;) from its methanolic stem bark and root extracts. The structures of all the isolated compounds were established using their 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data while the crude extracts, some fractions and compounds were tested for their antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxicity activities. In the antimicrobial assay, compound &lt;b&gt;18&lt;/b&gt; displayed good to moderate activity with MIC values of 31.25 µg/ml against &lt;i&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/i&gt;, 125 µg/ml against &lt;i&gt;Salmonella typhimurium&lt;/i&gt; cpc and &lt;i&gt;Pseudomonas aeruginosa&lt;/i&gt;, while compounds &lt;b&gt;10&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;13&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;14&lt;/b&gt; demonstrated moderate activities on almost all the tested strains, with the highest potency observed for compound &lt;b&gt;13&lt;/b&gt; on &lt;i&gt;E. coli&lt;/i&gt; (MIC = 125 µg/ml). However, although compounds &lt;b&gt;18&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;19&lt;/b&gt; gave a significant inhibition of the VERO cell line ATCC CRT-1586 with CC&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt; values of 52.60 µg/ml and 69.10 µg/ml, respectively, all the extract samples and other tested compounds did not show distinguishable cytotoxicity. Finally, the chemophenetic significance of the isolated compounds is discussed.