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Effect-directed profiling of Ficus religiosa leaf extracts for multipotent compounds via 12 effect-directed assays
Vandana Gawande1, Gertrud Morlock2
1Chair of Food Science, Institute of Nutritional Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen 35392, Germany; STES's Sinhgad Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Off. Smt. Kashibai Navale Hospital, Narhe, Pune, Maharashtra 411041, India.
This study developed a new hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method to analyze bioactive compounds in Ficus religiosa leaves. The method identified antibacterial, enzyme inhibitory, and antioxidant properties, highlighting the plant
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry and Natural Products Research
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacognosy
Background:
- Growing global interest in natural compounds for therapeutic applications due to limitations of synthetic drugs.
- Ficus religiosa, a plant with traditional medicinal uses for numerous ailments, lacks detailed characterization of its active constituents.
- Need for advanced analytical techniques to profile and identify bioactive compounds in medicinal plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for effect-directed profiling of Ficus religiosa leaf extracts.
- To identify and characterize bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic applications.
- To investigate the presence of antibacterial, enzyme inhibitory, and antioxidant activities in Ficus religiosa.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel hyphenated HPTLC method for physicochemical and effect-directed analysis.
- Screening of extracts with varying polarities using multi-imaging with 26 detection modes (UV/Vis/FLD, microchemical derivatizations, effect-directed assays).
- Further characterization of potent bioactive zones using HPTLC hyphenated with heated electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPTLC-HESI-HRMS/MS).
Main Results:
- Identification of antibacterial compounds effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
- Detection of inhibitors for acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and β-glucosidase.
- Discovery of radical scavenging compounds; no estrogen-like or genotoxic compounds detected at applied concentrations.
Conclusions:
- The developed HPTLC method is effective for the comprehensive profiling of bioactive compounds in Ficus religiosa.
- Ficus religiosa leaves possess significant antimicrobial, enzyme inhibitory, and antioxidant properties, supporting their traditional medicinal uses.
- Further research can utilize these findings to isolate and develop novel therapeutic agents from Ficus religiosa.
