Preliminary Anticancer Study of Dendrophthoe trigona and Dendrophthoe falcata using Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay

Abstract

Hemiparasite plants, such as mistletoe, obtains some nourishment from its host and is also photosynthetic to some degree. Despite of their dependence on the host, they are used in treatment of arthritis, urinary disorders, inflammation. The present investigation was aimed at investigating preliminary anticancer potential of ethanolic extract of Dendrophthoe trigona Danser, Loranthaceae and Dendrophthoe falcata Danser, Loranthaceae parasite on Ficus racemosa Linn. Moraceae and Dalbergia paniculata, Fabaceae, respectively. The whole plants were collected, shed dried and powdered for preparation of ethanolic extract. These extracts were used to carry out Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA). The total ethanolic extracts show potent cytotoxic activity towards this assay which proves the preliminary anticancer potential of these plant materials.

Keywords: Hemiparasite plants, mistletoe, brine shrimp lethality assay