Assessment of the Effect of Ficus Carica Leaf Extract on B16F10 Melanoma Cancer Cells: The Roles of p53, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 in Inducing Intrinsic Apoptosis Cascade

The study examined the impact of Ficus carica (fig) leaf extract on B16F10 melanoma cancer cells. The extract was found to inhibit the proliferation of these cells and induce apoptosis (cell death), with these effects being dose and time-dependent. The extract also caused chromatin condensation and fragmentation, and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells. The up-regulation of apoptotic genes (p53, Bax, caspase 3, and caspase 9) confirmed the extract's apoptosis-inducing potential. Importantly, the extract did not show high cytotoxic activity against normal epithelial cells, suggesting it specifically targets cancer cells. The study concludes that Ficus carica leaf extract could potentially be used as a treatment for melanoma skin cancer.