Introduction: Ficus sur is a plant widely used in traditional pharmacopoeia in Togo. So, this
study aimed the assessment of antioxidant properties and identification of some compounds
from the ethanolic extracts of different parts of the plant (leaves, fruits, roots, and barks).
Methods: The phenolic and flavonoid contents of the ethanolic extracts of different organs of
Ficus sur were assessed using conventional known methods. The DPPH radical scavenging and
the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to highlight the antioxidant
activities. The different extract samples were also analysed by liquid chromatography coupled
to a quadrupole-time of flight mass detector (ESI-QTOF).
Results: Total phenolic contents (TPCs) for 1 mg of dry extract ranged from 489.40 ± 7.48 μg
GAE (gallic acid equivalents) for the bark to 62.34 ± 2.66 μg GAE for unripe fruits. The bark
exhibited the highest flavonoid content, which was closed to 90.20 ± 3.72 μg QE (quercetin
equivalents)/mg of dry extract. The radical scavenging activities of the bark and unripe fruits
were 56.50 ± 0.29 and 7.3 ± 0.30 μg QE/mg of dry extract, respectively. In the same order,
the FRAP values of the two organs were 104.57 ± 4.75 and 19.61 ± 0.22 μmol FeSO4
Eq/mg
of dry extract. Many compounds including notoginsenoside R10; 4’,5,7-trihydroxyflavan-3-ol;
catechin; and boviquinone 4 were identified.
Conclusion: The various organs of Ficus sur are a source of bioactive compounds especially
phenolic compounds and flavonoids with antioxidant activit