Evaluation of the Bioactivity of some Traditional Medicinal Plants using the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the bioactivity of extracts of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium Vis., Albizia anthelmintica A. Broqn, Maerua edulis (Gilg) De Wolf, Maerua subcordata (Gilg &Bened) De Wolf and Myrsine africana L. which are used traditionally as anthelmintic by using brine shrimp lethality test. Serial dilutions of 1OOO~g/ml, 1OO~g/ml and 1O~g/ml of the extracts were put in five test tubes. Ten (10) brine shrimp larvae were immersed into each of the test tubes and the number surviving after 24 hours counted and the percentage mortality and LCso for each extract was determined. C. cinerariaefolium extract ( pyrethrins) was active ( LCso< 1OOO~g/ml) at LCso of 1.3 ~g/ml while the'" methanol extract of A. anthelmintica bark was active with LCso of 18~g/ml. The methanol extracts of Maerua edulis, Maerua subcordata and Myrsine africana were not active (LCso< 1000~g/ml). The result indicated that C. cinerareafolium and A. anthelmintica extracts have bioactivity and is the basis for their use as anthelmintic by pastoral communities. Brine shrimp lethality test was found to be a simple and rapid test and is thus recommended for similar studies.