In vivo Toxicity Studies on Gall Extracts of Terminalia chebula (Gaertn.) Retz. (Combretaceae)

Ravi Shankara Birur Eshwarappa; Y. L. Ramachandra; Sundara Rajan Subaramaihha; Sujan Ganapathy Pasura Subbaiah; Richard Surendranath Austin; Bhadrapura Lakkappa Dhananjaya

In vivo Toxicity Studies on Gall Extracts of Terminalia chebula (Gaertn.) Retz. (Combretaceae)

Articles

Abstract

Pharmacognosy Research,2016,8,3,199-201.

DOI:10.4103/0974-8490.182914

Published:May 2016

Type:Original Article

Authors:

Author(s) affiliations:

Ravi Shankara Birur Eshwarappa¹, YL Ramachandra², Sundara Rajan Subaramaihh^a2, Sujan Ganapathy Pasura Subbaiah³, Richard Surendranath Austin⁴, Bhadrapura Lakkappa Dhananjaya⁵

¹Department of Chemistry, School of Graduate Studies; Research Unit in Vrukshayurveda, A Division of Centre for Advanced Studies in Biosciences, Jain University, Chamrajpete, Bengaluru; Department of PG Studies and Research in Biotechnology, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Mysore, Karnataka, INDIA.

²Department of PG Studies and Research in Biotechnology, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Mysore, Karnataka, INDIA.

3Research Unit in Vrukshayurveda, A Division of Centre for Advanced Studies in Biosciences, Jain University, Chamrajpete, Bengaluru, Karnataka, INDIA.

⁴Department of Biochemistry, University of Mysore, Mysore, Karnataka, India 5 Toxinology/Toxicology and Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Emerging Technologies, Jain University, Ramanagara, Karnataka, INDIA.

Abstract:

The galls of Terminala chebula (Gaertn.) Retz. (Combretaceae) are used for the treatment of various diseases in folk medicine and has been found to posses anti‑inflammatory, anti‑bacterial, anti‑helmintic, anti‑tyrosinase, and anti‑aging activities. Considering the ethano‑botanical and diverse pharmacological applications of galls of T. chebula, in this study, we investigate the possible toxic effects of different gall extracts of T. chebula by Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) toxicity assay. The cytotoxicity test of leaf gall extracts (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, and aqueous) of T. chebula was evaluated by Brine shrimp (A. salina) toxicity assay, which is based on the ability to kill laboratory cultured Artemia nauplii (animals eggs) and also total content of polyphenols, flavonoids with other qualitative phytochemical analysis of the extract were determined. It was observed that the petroleum ether extract was virtually nontoxic on the shrimps, and exhibited very low toxicity with LC₅₀value of 4356.76 μg/ml. Furthermore, the chloroform extract exhibited very low toxicity, giving LC₅₀value of 1462.2 μg/ml. On the other hand, the ethanol extract was very toxic to brine shrimps with LC₅₀ value of 68.64 μg/ml. The ethanol extract had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content of 136 ± 1.5 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g d.w and 113 ± 1.6 mg of quercetin equivalent/g d.w, respectively. The higher toxicity effect was positively correlated to the high content of total polyphenols/flavonoids in the extract. This significant lethality of different extracts to brine shrimp is an indicative of the presence of potent cytotoxic components which warrants further investigation.