Potential cancer chemopreventive and anticancer constituents from the fruits of Ficus hispida L.f. (Moraceae).[Pubmed: 29197545]

Ficus hispida L.f. (Moraceae) has been used as alternative for traditional medicine in the treatment of various ailments including cancer-cure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cancer chemopreventive and anticancer activities of crude extracts of F. hispida, with the objective to screen the inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen, and cytotoxic active components, and provide foundation for potential applications of this promising medical plant.

New Alkaloids and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Flavonoids from Ficus hispida.[Pubmed: 27002475]

Two new pyrrolidine alkaloids, ficushispimines A (1) and B (2), a new ω-(dimethylamino)caprophenone alkaloid, ficushispimine C (3), and a new indolizidine alkaloid, ficushispidine (4), together with the known alkaloid 5 and 11 known isoprenylated flavonoids 6 - 16, were isolated from the twigs of Ficus hispida. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Isoderrone (8), 3'-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)biochanin A (11), myrsininone A (12), ficusin A (13), and 4',5,7-trihydroxy-6-[(1R*,6R*)-3-methyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]isoflavone (14) showed inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase in vitro.

Alkaloid extracts of Ficus species and palm oil-derived tocotrienols synergistically inhibit proliferation of human cancer cells.[Pubmed: 25515603]

Tocotrienols have been reported to possess anticancer effects other than anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study explored the potential synergism of antiproliferative effects induced by individual alkaloid extracts of Ficus fistulosa, Ficus hispida and Ficus schwarzii combined with δ- and γ-tocotrienols against human brain glioblastoma (U87MG), lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cells. Cell viability and morphological results demonstrated that extracts containing a mixture of alkaloids from the leaves and bark of F. schwarzii inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 cells, whereas the alkaloid extracts of F. fistulosa inhibited the proliferation of both U87MG and HT-29 cells and showed synergism in combined treatments with either δ- or γ-tocotrienol resulting in 2.2-34.7 fold of reduction in IC50 values of tocotrienols. The observed apoptotic cell characteristics in conjunction with the synergistic antiproliferative effects of Ficus species-derived alkaloids and tocotrienols assuredly warrant future investigations towards the development of a value-added chemotherapeutic regimen against cancers.

Hispidacine, an unusual 8,4'-oxyneolignan-alkaloid with vasorelaxant activity, and hispiloscine, an antiproliferative phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, from Ficus hispida Linn.[Pubmed: 25468714]

Hispidacine, an 8,4'-oxyneolignan featuring incorporation of an unusual 2-hydroxyethylamine moiety at C-7, and hispiloscine, a phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, were isolated from the stem-bark and leaves of the Malaysian Ficus hispida Linn. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis. Hispidacine induced a moderate vasorelaxant activity in rat isolated aorta, while hispiloscine showed appreciable antiproliferative activities against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, A549, HCT-116 and MRC-5 cell lines.

Evidence for the circadian gene period as a proximate mechanism of protandry in a pollinating fig wasp.[Pubmed: 24598106]

Protandry in insects is the tendency for adult males to emerge before females and usually results from intra-sexual selection. However, the genetic basis of this common phenomenon is poorly understood. Pollinating fig wasp (Agaonidae) larvae develop in galled flowers within the enclosed inflorescences ('figs') of fig trees. Upon emergence, males locate and mate with the still galled females. After mating, males release females from their galls to enable dispersal. Females cannot exit galls or disperse from a fig without male assistance. We sampled male and female Ceratosolen solmsi (the pollinator of Ficus hispida) every 3 h over a 24 h emergence period, and then measured the expression of five circadian genes: period (per), clock (clk), cycle (cyc), pigment-dispersing factor (pdf) and clockwork orange (cwo). We found significant male-biased sexual dimorphism in the expression of all five genes. per showed the greatest divergence between the sexes and was the only gene rhythmically expressed. Expression of per correlated closely with emergence rates at specific time intervals in both male and female wasps. We suggest that this rhythmical expression of per may be a proximate mechanism of protandry in this species.