BRINE SHRIMP LETHALITY ASSAY IN TWO SPECIES OF BIOPHYTUM DC.(OXALIDACEAE)

Objectives: The present study focuses on the detection of the major classes of phytocomponents and the appraisal of the cytotoxic potential of the ethanol extracts of the plant parts of two species of Biophytum, B. veldkampii Shanavas et al . and B. reinwardtii (Zucc.) Klotzsch using Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA). Methods: Individual plant parts of both the species [roots, stems, leaves & flowers (including seeds and fruits)], shade dried and ground to fine powder, were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using 70% ethyl alcohol. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the ethanol extract of the plant samples were done according to the standard biochemical procedures. Cytotoxicity was assessed using BSLA (Meyer, 1982). Results: The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed that , alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, saponins, quinones, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, fixed oils and fats, steroids, terpenoids, were present in all the parts of both the species. The BSLA revealed that both the plant extracts have potent activity against brine shrimp nauplii, comparable to the positive control potassium permanganate. Conclusion: The ethanol extracts of B. veldkampii leaves and B. reinwardtii stems appear to be more effective than the other test samples, as they showed LC 50 values 3.73 and 2.87µg/ml respectively, comparable to the standard, potassium permanganate (LC 50 - 3.920µg/ml). The positive response obtained in this assay suggests that the extracts of both B. veldkampii and B. reinwardtii may contain bioactive compounds.