Effect of In Vitro Digestion on Anticancer and Antioxidant Activity of Phenolic Extracts From Latex of Fig Fruit (<i>Ficus carica</i> L.)

In this study, changes in total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic profile, and antioxidant activity and anticancer activity against cervix cancer and colorectal cancer cell lines of phenolic extracts of black and white fig (Ficus carica L.) latex (milk) were investigated during in vitro gastrointestinal digestions for the first time. The findings indicated that the in vitro digestion process exerted a significant effect on TPC of the phenolic extract from white fig milk (WFM-PE) and phenolic extract from black fig milk (BFM-PE), and TPC tended to decrease after in vitro digestion (p < 0.05). As consistent with these findings, antioxidant activity (by the CUPRAC method) of the samples decreased (p < 0.05) during in vitro digestion. The IC₅₀ value of the undigested BFM-PE was significantly lower than that of the undigested WFM-PE (p < 0.05). The undigested and the digested WFM-PE and BFM-PE did not show any cytotoxic activity against normal cells. However, anticancer activity of WFM-PE on cervix and colorectal cancer cell lines (p < 0.05) and anticancer activity of BFM-PE against colorectal cancer cell lines decreased after in vitro digestion (p < 0.01). On the other hand, the dominant phenolic was catechin hydrate and was syringic acid.