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Planta Med 1993; 59(3): 250-252
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959661
Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

A Microwell Cytotoxicity Assay using Artemia salina (Brine Shrimp)

Pablo N. Solis1 , 4 , Colin W. Wright1 , Margaret M. Anderson2 , Mahabir P. Gupta3 , J. David Phillipson1
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1 AX, U.K.
  • 2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, London, U.K.
  • 3Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognosticas (FLORPAN), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panama, Apdo 10767, Panama
  • 4Address for correspondence
Further Information

Publication History

1992

1992

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

A new microplate assay for cytotoxicity testing using A. salina has been developed and shown to give results comparable to a previously published test-tube method. The assay reliably detected all of the compounds toxic to KB cells in a series of 21 pharmacologically active agents, except for two which require metabolic activation in man. Four quassinoids with cyto-toxic and antiplasmodial activity were also toxic to the brine shrimp while quassin itself was inactive in all three systems. It is proposed that this assay provides a convenient means by which the presence of cytotoxic quassinoids may be detected during the fractionation of plant extracts.

Key words

Artemia salina - brine shrimp - cytotoxicity - bioassay - Plasmodium falciparum - KB cells - quassinoids.