Abstract
Extensive research on Ficus species has shown their excellent cytotoxic potential which motivated the authors for further evaluation of its other species. In this article, the beta-sitosterol content in the chloroform extract of the leaves of five Ficus species (Ficus carica [FCCE], Ficus nitida [FNCE], Ficus ingens [FICE], Ficus palmata [FPCE], and Ficus vasta [FVCE]) was estimated by a validated high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method along with cytotoxic activity. The chromatography was performed on glass-backed silica gel 60 F-254 HPTLC plates with hexane and ethyl acetate (8: 2, v/v) as the mobile phase. The developed plate was derivatized with p-anisaldehyde reagent, scanned, and quantified at lambda = 550 nm. It furnished a compact and intense peak of beta-sitosterol at R-F = 0.17 +/- 0.001. The contents of beta-sitosterol (mu g mg(-1) of the dried weight of the extract) in the selected Ficus species were found as: FCCE (1.047 mu g mg(-1)) > FVCE (0.771 mu g mg-1) > FNCE (0.372 mu g mg(-1)) > FPCE (0.309 mu g mg(-1)), while it was absent in F. ingens. Methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to compare the cytotoxic potential of all Ficus species against HepG2 (liver), HEK-293 (kidney), MCF-7 (breast), and MDA-MB 231 (breast) cell lines. The FCCE exhibited good cytotoxic property against HepG2, HEK-293, and MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50: 32.5, 41.4, and 47.3 mu g mL(-1), respectively), while FICE showed against HepG2 and MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50: 31.4 and 41.2 mu g mL(-1), respectively). The remaining Ficus extracts were found to be very less effective or insignificant. The cytotoxic property of FCCE is also supported by the HPTLC estimation of beta-sitosterol which is reported to exhibit anticancer properties by interfering with multiple cell signaling pathways, including cell cycle, apoptosis, and proliferation. Our data suggest that the developed HPTLC method can be further employed in the analysis of marketed herbal formulations, and the active Ficus species can be further subjected to isolation of cytotoxic phytoconstituents.