Phytochemical Characterization and Cytotoxicity of Carissa edulis, Azadirachta indica, Cassia siamea and Harrisonia abyssinica from Masumbi Village, Siaya County-Kenya

Aims: To determine the phytochemicals and cytotoxicity of methanolic crude extracts of Carissa edulis, Azadirachta indica, Cassia siamea and Harrisonia abyssinica, from Masumbi village, Siaya county-Kenya.

Study Design: Qualitative analysis of the phytochemicals and brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay were done using standard procedures.

Place and Duration of Study: Plant samples were collected from Masumbi village, Siaya county-Kenya. Botanical identification of the plants’ samples was done in the Department of Biological Sciences, Egerton University and their voucher samples deposited in the departmental herbarium. Extraction, concentration, spotting and phytochemical analysis were carried out at the Department of Chemistry, Egerton University-Kenya.

Methodology: Chemical tests were done to determine the class of phytochemicals present in the methanolic crude extracts while brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay was carried out to predict the potential toxicity of the methanolic plant extracts.

Results: Extracts of four different species of plants were analyzed for their phytochemical composition. Alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids were detected in the extracts. The methanolic crude extracts had LC5O values between 198.498 and 450.022 µg/ml, and were categorized as being cytotoxic.

Conclusion: In the current study the methanolic crude extracts demonstrated LC50 values less than 1000 µg/ml indicating that these plants extracts were cytotoxic.