Abstract
BackgroundSpondias mombin Linn. is a tropical climate plant with wide applications in ethnomedicinal practice. This study evaluates the phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity and chemical composition of the plant’s stem bark.MethodsDried stem bark sample of Spondias mombin Linn. was subjected to exhaustive extraction and partitioned into sub-fractions (hexane-ethylacetate, ethylacetate, ethylacetate-methanol and methanol) by graded polarity technique. The phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity indices of the crude hydro-ethanol extract and fractions were evaluated using Lemna minor and brine shrimp lethality assays, respectively, while chemical composition of the oily hexane:ethylacetate fraction was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) technique.ResultsPhytotoxicity was dose-dependent which ranged from low (crude plant extract), moderate (hexane-ethylacetate and methanol fractions), high (ethylaacetate-methanol fraction) to significant toxicity (ethylacetate fraction) at the highest dose. However, for brine shrimp lethality assay only hexane-ethylacetate (LD50: 284.02 μg/mL) and ethylacetate (LD50: 210.24 μg/mL) fractions were cytotoxic at the highest dose. The GC-MS profile of the oily hexane:ethylacetate fraction identified sixty-eight compounds comprising hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols, steroids, nitrogen and fluoride-containing compounds, terpenes and esters.ConclusionThis study concludes that fractions of Spondias mombin Lin. could be potentially toxic. While its phytotoxic potential can be useful in the agrochemical industry for the production of natural herbicides, its cytotoxic property can be cautiously harnessed for ethnomedicinal purposes.
Highlights
Spondias mombin Linn. is a tropical climate plant with wide applications in ethnomedicinal practice
Brine shrimp of the brine shrimp lethality assay is believed to have positive correlation with human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB cell line) [10, 11], a plant material which shows toxicity towards it could be potentially relevant in anticancer drug formulation
Phytotoxicity assay At a dose of 10 μg/mL, all fractions and extract of Spondias mombin stem bark had zero inhibition growth effect on fronds of Lemna minor plant, while the methanol fraction had similar effect up to 100 μg/mL
Summary
Spondias mombin Linn. is a tropical climate plant with wide applications in ethnomedicinal practice. Is a tree belonging to the family of Anacardiaceae and subfamily Spondiadoideae It grows within the humid tropical climates, often in secondary vegetation derived from evergreen lowland forest or semi-deciduous forest areas of the continents of Africa (in countries like Nigeria, Congo, Central Africa Republic, etc), Asia (India) and South Americas (Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, Argentina, etc.) [1]. Its common (2021) 7:59 proanthocyanins, which have been implicated in the healing potentials associated with medicinal plants like Spondias mombin. The use of these medicinal plants continues to gain grounds especially in lowincome countries. Owing to the medicinal values associated with S. mombin locally and its wide applications, this study was designed to investigating the toxicity index and chemical profile of this plant species of Nigerian origin
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