Background

Ficus sycomorus has been explored for its bioactivities against various microbial agents. However, most published literature on Ficus sycomorus stem bark has not been able to go beyond crude extraction and characterizations. This study addresses this gap by fractionating and characterizing the crude extract and comparing the activities of the crude extract and the fraction.

Objective

This study investigated the phytochemical composition, chemical profiling, and antimicrobial potential of Ficus sycomorus stem bark extract and its fractions.

Methods

The stem bark of Ficus sycomorus was collected, dried, pulverized, Soxhlet extracted using methanol, fractionated using column and thin layer chromatography, and tested against MDR Shigella sp. GC-MS was conducted on the crude extract and a fraction.

Results

Qualitative phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis revealed arrays of bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, various fatty acids (such as lauric, stearic, and tridecanoic acids), azole and pyridine derivatives, organosilicon compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Anthraquinones not detectable in the crude extract were present in the bioactive fraction. Nine major compounds, including amiphenazole, dodecanoic acid (ethyl ester), pyridine 3,5-diethoxy-1-oxide, octadecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, oleoyl-L-α-lysophosphatidic acid, benzo[h]quinoline 2,4-dimethyl, and ethyl[(4-methyl-6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-2-pyrimidinyl) sulfanyl] acetate in the crude extract and five (5) compounds, including dodecanoic acid (lauric acid) ethyl ester, exadecenoic acid (ethyl palmitate), organosilicon (trimethyl[4-(2-methyl-4-oxo-2-pentyl) phenoxy] silane), and naphthalene derivatives in the active fraction, were identified using GC-MS. Their antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Shigella species was tested. The pooled fractions (F1-F4) exhibited superior activities with lower MIC and MBC (25/50, 25/100, 50/100, 50/100 mg/mL) values compared to the crude extract (50/200 mg/mL).

Conclusion

Despite such limitations as quantitation of phytochemicals, limited data and reliance on GC-MS, these findings underscore the promise of Ficus sycomorus, especially its fraction as a potential candidate for novel antimicrobial development against Shigellosis and add to arsenal of phytocompounds for alternative therapeutics.