Study of the Antioxidant Activity of Methanol Extract from Ficus Sakalavarum (Moraceae) in the Mice

Oxidative stress is one of the key factors in the onset of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatism, and cardiovascular diseases. Certainly, medicinal plants offer natural antioxidant molecules, but their effects and toxicity were less studied and unknown. Traditional Malagasy used the bark of Ficus sakalavarum to treat diabetes, however, there is a dearth of information on the antioxidant effect and the toxicity test of this plant species. The antioxidant activity of the methanol extract from the bark of Ficus sakalavarum was evaluated using the thediphenyl-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) free radical scavenging test. The toxicological evaluation of the extract was carried out by determining toxicity parameters and microscopic observation of vital organs after administration of 4000 mg/kg of the methanol extract in mice. The methanol extract at 3.12 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml inhibited the DPPH free radicals between 8.37% and 43.93%, respectively. The median Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) corresponded to 27.96 μg/ml, indicating strong antioxidant activity. No mortality was observed in the animal up to a dose of 4000 mg/kg. The signs of toxicity disappeared, and the animals' behavior returned to the normal after 24 hours of the treatment. This study justifies the antioxidant power of Ficus sakalavarum and represents a relevant approach for the development of a natural antioxidant phytomedicine.