Antimutagenic, Cytoprotective and Antioxidant Properties of Ficus deltoidea Aqueous Extract In Vitro

Abstract

<i>Ficus deltoidea</i> var. <i>deltoidea</i> is used as traditional medicine for diabetes, inflammation, and nociception. However, the antimutagenic potential and cytoprotective effects of this plant remain unknown. In this study, the mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of <i>F. deltoidea aqueous extract</i> (FDD) on both <i>Salmonella typhimurium</i> TA 98 and TA 100 strains were assessed using <i>Salmonella</i> mutagenicity assay (Ames test). Then, the cytoprotective potential of FDD on menadione-induced oxidative stress was determined in a V79 mouse lung fibroblast cell line. The ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was conducted to evaluate FDD antioxidant capacity. Results showed that FDD (up to 50 mg/mL) did not exhibit a mutagenic effect on either TA 98 or TA 100 strains. Notably, FDD decreased the revertant colony count induced by 2-aminoanthracene in both strains in the presence of metabolic activation (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, pretreatment of FDD (50 and 100 µg/mL) demonstrated remarkable protection against menadione-induced oxidative stress in V79 cells significantly by decreasing superoxide anion level (<i>p</i> < 0.05). FDD at all concentrations tested (12.5-100 µg/mL) exhibited antioxidant power, suggesting the cytoprotective effect of FDD could be partly attributed to its antioxidant properties. This report highlights that <i>F. deltoidea</i> may provide a chemopreventive effect on mutagenic and oxidative stress inducers.