Abstract

EVALUATION OF CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF FIVE BANGLADESHI MEDICINAL PLANTS

Aminul Islam, Md. Mashrur Chowdhury, Md. Shamim Molla, Farhana Zaman, Apu Kumar Das, Muhammad Torequl Islam* and Razina Rouf

ABSTRACT

Chemotherapy is still considered one of the most popular cancer therapeutic modalities in the world. Medicinal plants contain many important therapeutic lead compounds that are considered as alternative promising tools to treat various diseases, including cancers. This paper offers phytochemical reports and cytotoxic profiles of the methanolic extracts of Antidesma montanum (MAM), Dysophylla auricularia (MDA), Eurya acuminata (MEA), Lasianthus chrysoneurus (MLC), and ethanolic extract of Pogostemon strigosus (EPS). Phytochemical tests were done by using manual observation of the color intensity, while cytotoxic profiles of the crude extracts were checked by using brine shrimp (Artemia salina) lethality bioassy. Results suggest that all the plants contain flavonoids, while other secondary metabolites are herb-specific. All the extracts exerted concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects on the A. salina. MAM, MEA, and EPS showed strong cytotoxic effects on A. salina with LC50 values between 4.69 ± 0.14 and 12.74 ± 0.10 μg/mL. Of note, A. montanum, E. acuminata and P. strigosus may be good sources of plant-based cytotoxic lead compounds.

Keywords: Medicinal plants; Artemia salina; Crude extracts; Phytochemicals; Cytotoxic effects.