Antimitotic and Antiproliferative Action of <i>Ficus septica</i> Burm. F. Stem Bark Ethanolic Extract

Abstract

Ficus septica is a widely documented ethnomedicinal plant that locals have used in varied applications due to its antibacterial, antioxidant, antimutagenic, renoprotective, and other biological activities. The present study investigates the antimitotic and antiproliferative actions of F. septica stem bark crude ethanolic extract using onion (Allium cepa) root tip assay and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) proliferation assay. A. cepa assay showed that the F. septica stem bark crude ethanolic extract can block mitosis in onion root cells by causing spindle and chromosome damage. The extract is genotoxic based on the increasing frequency of chromosomal aberrations at higher concentrations. Mitotic anomalies observed are sticky chromosomes, vagrant chromosomes, laggard, pole deviation, and polyploidy. It also showed that the extract decreased the cell viability of the yeast cells in a concentration-dependent manner. This study revealed that F. septica stem bark crude ethanolic extract has antimitotic and antiproliferative properties in A. cepa root tips and yeasts. Further study could be performed focusing on identifying and isolating antimitotic, and antiproliferative components of F. septica stem bark and conducting biological screening using other models.