Phytochemical evaluation and cytotoxicity assay of lythri herba extracts

Abstract

Lythrum salicaria L. is a plant known in traditional European medicine for its healing effects for diseases such as dysentery and diarrhoea. The quantitative evaluation by spectrophotometric determinations of total polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins content revealed values of 16.39% in polyphenols, 10.53% tannins and 0.3598% anthocyanosides, results comparable to the data in the literature. To determine the antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract the DPPH radical method was performed on the Lythri herba vegetal product. The aqueous extract shows an increased antioxidant activity (DPPH) of 94.39% for the concentration of 2.5 mg/mL, IC50 being registered at 0.2166 mg/mL. These results correlated with the effects of the biological activity of the extract on the Artemia salina L. biotester. Although the extract is non-toxic, cytological effects appear after 48 h (the accumulation of cytoplasmic inclusions, an increase of intercellular space and cell detachments at the level of the basement membrane).