Evaluación de la bioactividad de plantas medicinales cultivadas en el Perú usando la prueba de letalidad de Artemia salina / Bioactivity of medicinal plants cultivated in Peru using Artemia salina lethality test

Objetivo. Determinar la bioactividad de trece plantas medicinales peruanas a través de su capacidad citotóxica. Materiales y métodos. Se elaboraron extractos acuosos, hidroalcohólicos, o zumos liofilizados de las especies vegetales seleccionadas. La citotoxicidad in vitro fue evaluada usando la prueba de letalidad de Artemia salina, con la determinación de la concentración letal media (CL50). El potencial citotóxico de las muestras de extractos evaluados, se clasificaron en: a) no tóxico: CL50 > 1000 µg/ mL; b) baja toxicidad: 500 < CL50 ≤ 1000 µg/ mL; c) toxicidad moderada: 100 < CL50 ≤ 500 µg/ mL, y d) alta toxicidad: CL50 < 100 µg/ mL. Resultados. Los diferentes extractos del rizoma de Curcuma longa mostraron una potente actividad citotóxica, con CL50 entre 20,67 ± 7,04 y 98,14± 2,64 ug/mL. Los extractos de rizoma de Zingiber officinale, del fruto de Physalis angulata y la planta entera de Physalis angulata también mostraron actividad citotóxica con CL50 de 87,15±18,17, 323,48±18,85 y 328,92±23,08 ug/mL, respectivamente. Conclusión. Se encontró actividad citotóxica en los extractos de los rizomas de Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, así como el fruto y planta entera de Physalis angulata. Futuros estudios podrán determinar si la flora cultivada en el Perú puede ser una fuente para el desarrollo futuro de agentes antitumorales.

Objective. To determine the bioactivity of 13 Peruvian medicinal plants through their cytotoxic capacity. Material and methods. Aqueous, hydroalcoholic extracts or lyophilized juices of the selected plant species were elaborated. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated using the Artemia salina lethality test, with the determination of the mean lethal concentration (LC50). The cytotoxic potential of the samples of evaluated extracts was classified into: a) non-toxic: LC50> 1000 µg / mL, b) low toxicity: 500 < LC50 ≤ 1000 µg / mL, c) moderate toxicity: 100 < LC50≤ 500 µg / mL, and d) high toxicity: LC50 <100 µg / mL. Results. The different extracts of the Curcuma longa's rhizome showed a potent cytotoxic activity, with LC50 between 20.67 ± 7.04 and 98.14 ± 2.64 µg / mL. Zingiber officinale rhizome, Physalis angulate fruit and Physalis angulata whole plant extracts, also showed cytotoxic activity with LC50 of 87.15 ± 18.17, 323.48 ± 18.85 and 328.92 ± 23.08 µg / mL, respectively. Conclusion. Cytotoxic activity was found in the extracts of Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale rhizomes, as well as Physalis angulata fruit and whole plant extracts. Future studies will be able to determine if the flora cultivated in Peru could be a source for future development of antitumoral agents.

[Evaluation of cytotoxicity of the essential oil and various extracts of cinnamon and ginger using brine shrimp lethality assay [BSL]]

The bark of Cinnamon [Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume.] and rhizome of Ginger [Zingiber officinale Rosc.] have been widely used as spice in Iranian diets. The aim of the present study is the evaluation of cytotoxicity of the essential oil and various extracts of these two plants using Brine shrimp lethality assay [BSL]. The plants were prepared from a local market and their scientific names were confirmed with microscopic analysis. The essential oils and various extracts in increasing polarity order were prepared with hydro distillation and percolation method respectively. The cytotoxicity of all fractions was evaluated using BSL method in 10, 100 and 1000 micro g/ml concentrations. Results were analyzed using software of probit analysis. Chloroform, essential oil and ether extracts of cinnamon with LC50= 9, 10 and 18 micro g/ml respectively] and essential oil, petroleum ether, methanol and chloroform extracts of Ginger with LC 50=0.03, 4.03, 7.9 and 8.89 micro g/ml exhibited the most cytotoxicity in comparing to potassium dichromate [LC50= 27.75 micro g/ml]. All of the fractions from the bark of Cinnamon and rhizome of Ginger exhibited high cytotoxicity. However it is needed more separation and identification of active components on the basis of this biological activity. If these results would confirm with the other bioassays, it is suggested to make safety recommendations for daily consumption of these two plants