Isolation, characterization and microvascular activity of anthocyanins from Ficus Racemosa fruits

Anthocyanins (ACN) are part of a large and wide spread group of plant constituents known collectively as flavanoids. In the present research work anthocyanins were extracted from Ficus racemosa fruit. Family: Moraceae, using acidified methanol (1% HCL in methanol). The extracted anthocyanins were isolated and purified using the Amberllite - XAD4 resin. Anthocyanins were characterized by means of Chromatographic and Spectral data obtained from HPLC and UV Spectroscopy. Two major pigments identified were Peonidin -3-glucoside and Pelargonidin -3-glucoside. Peaks for anthocyanins, which are present in very low amount, and in less concentration, can be verified by means of commercially available external standards. The samples were diluted in the mixture of methanol and formic acid just before the injection on the column and separated on Lichrospher-100 Reversed phase C18 end capped column (5 micron) 125mm x 4mm using gradient solvent system consisting of 5Mm of phosphoric acid and acetonitrile . DAD detector was employed at 520 nm for anthocyanins. An Ficus racemosa fruit anthocyanosides preparation (equivalent to 30% of anthocyanidins) demonstrated significant vasoprotective effect in rabbits, the skin capillary permeability increase, due to chloroform, was reduced after i.p. (25-100 mg/kg) anthocyanosides. Comparison was made between the action of the methanol extract and a known protective microvascular drug proxerutin (25 mg/kg). The mixed of anthocyanosides was more active that the proxerutin.