Determination of toxicity levels of some savannah plants using Brine Shrimp Test (BST)

Abstract

Twenty plant species belonging to 15 families were selected in this study on the bases of their uses in Hausa and Kanuri folk medicine to cure malaria and cancer diseases. Extracts prepared form the plants were solvent partitioned and screened for activity in the brine shrimp (Artemia salina Leach) lethality test (BST). Aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of the roots of Cochlospermum tinctorium A. Rich and the chloroform soluble fraction (F2) of stem bark of Entada sudanica Schweinf exhibited very high lethality on brine shrimp larvae at LC50 values 8 (26 – 3), 10(32 – 6), and 6(15 – 0) μg/ml respectively. Sclerocaria birrea, Momordica charantia, Borehaavia diffusa and Nauclea aculeata extracts also exhibited potent activity at LC50 values <60 μg/ml. The lethal concentrations (LC50) were determined at 95% confidence intervals by analyzing the data on a computer loaded with “Finney Programme.”

Keywords: Artemia salina, Brine shrimp test, Folk medicine,
Savanna plants.