Cytotoxicity of antimalarial plant extracts from Kenyan biodiversity to the brine shrimp, Artemia salina L. (Artemiidae)
Date
2012Author
Nguta, J M
Kiama, S G
Kabasa, J D
Gathumbi, P K
Mbaria, J M
Gakuya, D W
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Artemia salina (Artemiidae), the brine
shrimp larva, is an invertebrate used in the
alternative test to determine toxicity of chemicals
and natural products. In this study the
medium lethal concentration fifty (LC50 values)
of 45 antimalarial plant extracts and positive
controls, cyclophosphamide and etoposide were
determined using Artemia salina (Artemiidae).
Out of the 45 organic extracts screened for
activity against Artemia salina larvae, 23 (51%)
of the crude extracts demonstrated activity at or
below 100 μg/mL, and were categorized as having
strong cytotoxic activity, 18 (40%) of the
crude extracts had LC50 values between 100
μg/mL and 500 μg/mL, and were categorized as
having moderate cytotoxicity, 2 (4.5%) of the
crude extracts had LC50 values between 500
μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL, and were considered to
have weak cytotoxic activity, while 2 (4.5%) of
the crude extracts had LC50 values greater than
1000 μg/mL and were considered to be non
toxic. Approximately 20% (9) of the aqueous
extracts demonstrated activity at or below 100
g/mL and were considered to have strong cytotoxic
activity, 40% (18) of the screened aqueous
crude extracts had LC50 values between 100
μg/mL and 500 μg/mL and were considered to be
moderately cytotoxic, 16% (7) of the crude
extracts had LC50 values between 500 μg/mL
and 1000 μg/mL and were considered to have
weak cytotoxic activity while 24% (11) of the
aqueous extracts had LC50 values greater than
1000μg/mL and were categorized as non toxic
The positive controls, cyclophosphamide and
etoposide exhibited strong cytotoxicity with
LC50 values of 95 μg/mL and 6 μg/mL respectively
in a 24 hour lethality study, validating their
use as anticancer agents. In the current study,
95.5% of all the screened organic extracts and
76% of the investigated aqueous extracts
demonstrated LC50 values <1000 g/mL, indicating
that these plants could not make safe antimalarial
treatments. This calls for dose adjustment
amongst the community using the plant
extracts for the treatment of malaria and chemical
investigation for isolation of bioactive compounds
responsible for the observed toxicity.
Citation
Drugs and Therapy Studies 2012; 2:e12]Sponsorhip
Funding: the authors acknowledge financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York through Regional Initiative in Science and Education African Natural Product Training Network (RISE-AFNNET).Publisher
Department of Clinical Studies, University of Nairobi Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology & Parasitology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Nairobi Department of Public Health Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Kenya