Evaluation of plantago lanceolata against brine shrimp lethality test / Zakiyah Moorbannoo

Plantago lanceolata, belonging to the family of plantaginaceae, has been known to be used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of cancer by some locals in Mauritius. In the present study, extracts of this medicinal plant was screened for their cytotoxicity using brine shrimp lethality test since it is a simple, reliable and convenient method for assessment of bioactivity. The root and leaf were separated and investigated for their activity. The extract was prepared by dissolving the air-dried leaves and roots of P. lanceolata in 80% Methanol for 72 hours and subsequently partitioned in hexane and chloroform. The leaf extracts showed significant toxicity with minimum LC50 of 379 (± 30) µg/mL, whereas the root extracts were relatively inactive with LC50 of more than 1000 µg/mL.