Toxicity of the hydroalcoholic extracts of fruit leaves from the Peruvian Amazon in Artemia salina

Abstract

Background: Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times, receiving interest in their healing potential because of their active components. The Amazon rainforest in the east of Peru has great diversity of flora, especially monocotyledons (Cocos nucifera, Mauritia flexuosa and Coffea spp.) and dicotyledons (Theobroma cacao L. and Musa spp. The toxicity of the hydroalcoholic extract of plant leaves from the Peruvian Amazon in Artemia salina was evaluated in this study. Methods: The leaves of the plants Cocos nucifera, Mauritia flexuosa, Theobroma cacao L., Coffea sp, and Musa sp were collected in the district of Cacatachi, San Martín. Phytochemical analysis of the leaves was carried out to identify their active components. The eggs of Artemia salina were provided by the Department of Animal Physiology of Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. The hydro-alcoholic extraction was carried out via the maceration method using 300 g of leaves and 500 mL of 96% ethanol for 15 days in agitation. The solutions were taken to a vertical rotavapor to obtain dry extracts and concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 μL/ml were prepared. To test toxicity, 10 larvae were given the extract for each plant species and concentration in triplicate. The CL50 toxicity of Artemia salina samples was classified as: ˃ 1000 μL/ml (non-toxic), 500˂CL50 ≤ 1000 (low toxicity), 100˂CL50 ≤ 500 (moderate toxicity), CL50˂100 (high toxicity). Results: It was observed that Mauritia flexuosa and Musa sp. at concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 μL/ml have high, medium and low toxicity, respectively. However, only low toxicity was observed in Cocos nucifera, Theobroma cacao L. and Coffea sp. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the obtained results are in accordance with other studies that examined different extracts, indicating that if a sample is non-toxic to Artemia salina, then its effects will also be similar in humans.