In vitro assessment of natural plant extracts Withania somnifera, Cassia fistula, Saraca asoca, and Eucalyptus tereticornis using primary chicken embryo fibroblast cell culture treated with urea or mercuric chloride (II)

Abstract

The present investigation examined the detoxifying potential of methanolic herbal extracts, namely the leaf and bark extract of Eucalyptus tereticornis, bark extract of Saraca asoca, Cassia fistula and Withania somnifera in vitro using primary chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells against damaging effects of urea and mercuric chloride (HgCl) (II). The influence of 20 mM urea and 10 µM HgCl (II) was determined on cell viability or proliferation of cells after treatment with plant extracts. Higher survival rate of primary CEF cells treated with higher concentrations of plant extracts was observed due to their protective ability against urea and HgCl (II). Cassia fistula bark extract (10 mg mL−1) was found to be most effective against 20 mM urea as it protects 90% of CEF cells whereas W. somnifera protects 86% of the cells within 24 h. After treating cells with10 µM HgCl, W. somnifera and E. tereticornis leaf extracts were found to be more effective among all other extracts as they protect approximately 86% and 70% of CEF cells, respectively, within 24 h. These results indicate that C. fistula and W. somnifera has the highest potential amongst all the five plant extracts for protecting CEF cells against damaging effects of urea and HgCl (II), respectively.