Phytochemical study of the aerial parts of Ficus cordata utilizing liquid-liquid fractionation and different chromatographic techniques resulted in the isolation of four
furanocoumarins:
psoralene (1), hydroxy
isoimperatorin (2),
oxypeucedanin hydrate (3) and dorsteniol (4), the
flavone glycoside rutin (5), b-
sitosterol and
sucrose. Structures of the isolated compounds were established through physical, 1D- and 2D-NMR and MS data. The total extract of the plant was examined in vivo for its possible effects as hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, antiulcer and
anticoagulant in comparison with standard drugs. Hepatoprotective activitys were accessed via serum biochemical parameters including
aspartate aminotransferase (AST),
alanine aminotransferase (ALT),
gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT),
alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total
bilirubin. Tissue parameters such as non-
protein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH),
malonaldehyde (MDA) and total
protein (TP) were also measured. In addition to tissue parameters, nephroprotective effect was evaluated by measuring the serum levels of
sodium,
potassium,
creatinine and
urea. Histopathological study for both liver and kidney cells was also conducted. Antiulcer activity was explored by observing stomach lesions
after treatment with
ethanol. Whole blood clotting time (CT) was taken as measure for the
anticoagulant activity of the extract. All the studied parameters indicated that the total extract of Ficus cordata at 500mg/kg possess moderate hepatoprotective effect, good protection against
ethanol induced
ulcer and weak nephroprotective effect. The CT was about one quarter of that of
warfarin.