Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay of the Ethanolic Extracts of Three Selected Species of Medicinal Plants from Iligan City, Philippines

The present study was conducted to test for in vivo Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA) of the ethanolic extracts of Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata, and Euphorbia hirta and correlate cytotoxicity results with known pharmacological activities of the plants. Novel cytotoxic, antitumor, and pesticidal compounds can be isolated from potential plant sources through the assessment of cytotoxic activity against brine shrimps. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of LC 50 (lethality concentration). Ten nauplii were added into three replicates of each concentration of the plant extract. After 24 hours the surviving brine shrimp larvae were counted and LC 50 was assessed. Results showed that the extracts of L. camara, C. odorata, and E. hirta were potent against the brine shrimp with LC 50 values of 55, 10, and 100 ppm ( µg/mL), respectively. It indicated that bioactive components are present in these plants that could be accounted for its pharmacological effects. Thus, the results support the uses of these plant species in traditional medicine.