Anticancer and Antibacterial Properties of Secondary Metabolites From Three Selected Macaranga Species and Phytochemistry of Ficus Thonningii

Abstract

Medicinal plants are essential in human ailment therapy even before modern civilization.The quest for and utilization of these medicinal plants has continued to receive increased interest. Cancer is a major global health issue affecting all communities irrespective of their development status.Bacteria, in addition to triggering cancer progression, continue to be a significant source of morbidity and fatality in cancer patients. The rising prevalence of drug resistance by cancerous cells and bacteria and the diverse undesirable side effects have necessitated the search for lead compounds that may be exploited in developing novel therapeutic drugs with better efficacy and less toxicity. Therefore,dichloromethane/methanol (1:1) extracts of different parts of Macaranga conglomerata, Macaranga capensis, Macaranga kilimandscharica,and Ficus thonningii were phytochemically investigated, and the isolated compounds evaluated for anticancer and antibacterial potencies. To identify and purify pure compounds, several chromatographic procedures were utilized, including column chromatography (CC) using silica gel, SephadexiLH-20, and chromatotron. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using spectroscopic (NMR,UV, IR, optical rotation) and spectrometric (HRESIM) techniques. Phytochemical analysis of all the plant samples led to the isolation of twenty-two compounds out of which one is novel. Phytochemical analysis of M. conglomerata leaves afforded five compounds, including three flavonoids(245 – 247) and two ellagic acid derivatives(248 – 249)..............................................................................................................................................................................................