USE OF LETTUCE SEEDS TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF BIOMARKERS IN PLANTS OF THERAPEUTIC VALUE

Lettuce seed germination Bioassay was conducted to detect and confirm the biological cyto toxicity of methanolic extract and its fractions of selected plants, viz; Aegle marmelos, Gymnema sylvestre and Tinospora cordifolia. The experiment works on the principle of the inhibition on the process of seed germination shown by active components of plant extracts. ED50 value for the plant extract on seed germination is calculated using Finney's computer program. The result indicates that among the plants screened, butanol fraction of methanolic extract of A. marmelos has more cytotoxicity with ED50 value as 575.82 g/ml on the seed germination process of lettuce when compared to all other fractions of the all the extracts. The report indicates that Lettuce seed germination test can be used to detect biomarkers present in plant extracts and so serve as an index of bioactivity.