In-vitro Evaluation of Cytotoxic and Anthelmintic Activity of Luffa acutangula, Luffa aegyptiaca and Momordica cochinchinensis.

ABSTRACT

Aims: The study was designed to investigate cytotoxic and anthelmintic activity of aerial parts of Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. (Family Cucurbitaceae, locally known as ‘Jhinga’), Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. (Family Cucurbitaceae, locally known as ‘Dhundul’) and Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. (Family Cucurbitaceae, locally known as ‘Kakrol’) extracted with various solvents (petroleum ether & methanol). Study Design: Determination of cytotoxic and anthelmintic activity of aerial parts of three (Cucurbitaceae family) Bangladeshi plants. Place and Duration of Study Department of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342. Performed between November 2011- September 2012. Methodology: The cytotoxic activity was evaluated by Brine Shrimp lethality bioassay and anthelmintic activity by in-vitro test using earth worm Pheretima posthuma (Annelida) as test animals. Results: In Brine Shrimp lethality bioassay, methanol extract of M. cochinchinensis and L. aegyptiaca were found to be highly toxic to Brine Shrimp nauplii, having LC50 of 1.91±0.79 μg/ml and 3.97±0.61 μg/ml respectively. The three methanol extracts of aerial part of L. acutangula, L. aegyptiaca and M. cochinchinensis showed moderate anthelmintic activity. 50mg/ml concentration of methanol extract of M. cochinchinensis showed maximum activity showing death in test animals at 43±1.3 min which is comparable to the standard (Piperazine Citrate, 10 mg/ml) which killed the test animal at 38 ± 0.63 min. Conclusion: Further studies are suggested to be undertaken to understand the underlying mechanism of the observed cytotoxic and anthelmintic activity of these three Bangladeshi (Cucurbitaceae family) plants.