Phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity and inhibitory potential of Ficus carica and Olea europaea leaves

Abstract

It is our interest to screen Oela europaea L and Ficus carica L leaf extract for total phenolic, flavonoid contents and to evaluate their free radical scavenging and Ferric reducing power (FRAP) using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Data shows that Olea europaea and Ficus carica have strong antioxidant potency to scavenge free radical at an optimal phenolic and flavonoid concentration. Results further suggest a strong correlation between antioxidant activities, phenolic and flavonoid contents. Thus, the screening of Ficus carica and Olea europaea leaf extracts for potential antioxidants as source of drugs for several diseases especially oxidative stress and cancers is illustrated. Background: The Mediterranean flora is remarkable for its diversity and it is a rich source of medicinal plants [1, 2, 3, 4]. Among them, Ficus carica L. and Olea europaea L. which are widely used in traditional medicine for their benefits as metabolic, respiratory, cardiovascular, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, eyesore and cancer diseases remedies [5, 6, 7]. Furthermore previous studies have demonstrated the ability to inhibit the proliferation of several cancer cell lines including pancreatic [8], leukaemia [9], stomach [10], breast [11, 12, 13], prostate [14], carcinoma [15] and colorectal cancer [16]. These pharmacological properties of Ficus carica L and Oela europaea L are probably due to the presence of plant secondary metabolites, which contains several bioactive compounds [17]. Polyphenols [18, 19], flavonoids [19, 20], tannins, organic acids, coumarins, vitamin E and carotenoids have the potency to inhibit the oxidative mechanisms that lead to degenerative diseases [21, 22]. These compounds are able to act as antioxidants by different ways: as