Abstract
BackgroundThe medicinal plant Ficus carica L., inhabiting southwest regions of Asia, is known for its wide ethnopharmacological applications. In traditional medicine, it has been applied as a treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disorders, among others. Recent studies confirmed antimicrobial and anticancer activities for the plant extract. To find out whether endophytes of F. carica contribute to its biological activities, endophytes of the aerial parts of the plant were isolated and examined for anticancer and antimicrobial effects.ResultsThe isolated species were identified as Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium oxalicum, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium proliferatum and Aspergillus neoniger. An anticancer assay was carried out on the extracts of fungal strains against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), human immortalized myelogenous leukemia cell line (K-562) and human immortal cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Results revealed antiproliferative effects for all endophytic strains against HUVEC and K-562 with GI50 values ranging from 4.75 to 13.75 µg mL−1 as well as cytotoxicity against HeLa with CC50 ranging from 8.25 to 18.75 µg mL−1. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was tested against several test strains in agar diffusion assay, and MIC values were determined by the broth microdilution method. All strain extracts exerted antibacterial and antifungal activities with highest antifungal effect observed for A. neoniger extract (MIC = 3.75 µg mL−1).ConclusionsThese results support the assumption that endophytes of F. carica contribute to the plant’s reported antimicrobial and anticancer activities and its corresponding applications in traditional medicine.
Highlights
The medicinal plant Ficus carica L., inhabiting southwest regions of Asia, is known for its wide ethnopharmacological applications
The anticancer activity of the plant was recently studied on Huh7it liver cancer cells and the results revealed an IC50 value of > 653 μg/mL for the extract of the plant’s leaves (Purnamasari 2019)
This study presents the investigation of the endophytes of the medicinal plant Ficus carica fam
Summary
The medicinal plant Ficus carica L., inhabiting southwest regions of Asia, is known for its wide ethnopharmacological applications. Recent studies confirmed antimicrobial and anticancer activities for the plant extract. To find out whether endophytes of F. carica contribute to its biological activities, endophytes of the aerial parts of the plant were isolated and examined for anticancer and antimicrobial effects. A recent study reported the frequency of endophyte colonization in the different plant parts of F. benghalensis growing in India and stated that the growth environment and tissue type of the host plant determine endophyte composition in that host (Suryanarayanan and Vijaykrishna 2001). The antimicrobial activity of Ficus carica was confirmed by a study testing the effect of the plant extract on several bacterial strains (E. coli, S. aureus, S. sanguinis, S. criceti, S. gordonii and S. anginosus). The anticancer activity of the plant was recently studied on Huh7it liver cancer cells and the results revealed an IC50 value of > 653 μg/mL for the extract of the plant’s leaves (Purnamasari 2019)
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