01601nas a2200133 4500008004100000245002600041210002600067260001900093300001200112490000600124520125100130100001901381856006701400 2010 eng d00aAssessing Bioactivity0 aAssessing Bioactivity cSeptember 2010 a203-2040 v23 a

In this month’s issue of Pharmacognosy Research, I would like to concentrate on the methodologies that are employed to assess the nature of the bioactivities of plant extracts. In vivo and / or in vitro test models, together with the structural determination of the chief components, are of course the gold standard in determining the active constituents. Despite the development of very rapid and sophisticated analytical techniques, for example, Liquid chromatography (LC) and Gas chromatography (GC) hyphenated with Mass Spectrometry (MS) and elaborate one and two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques, the bioassay remains indispensable. In general, bioassays examine the response of a whole animal, an isolated tissue / cell line or an organism, to a given extract (or drug, chemical or pollutant) in order to evaluate the bioactivity or toxicity or both. Paradoxically the difference between a ‘cure’ and a ‘poison’ is quantity. Scientists must be able to determine the activity (biological mechanisms) and the identity of the plant-borne substances in order to extrapolate safe levels, dosage forms, and delivery modes, for human use. Read more...

1 aFurey, Ambrose uhttps://www.phcogres.com/article/2010/2/4/1041030974-849069101