DETERMINATION OF LETHAL CONCENTRATION FIFTY (LC50) OF WHOLE PLANT ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF AMARANTHUS VIRIDIS, CYNODON DACTYLON & AERVA SANGUINOLENTA ON ZEBRAFISH (DANIO RERIO) EMBRYOS

Introduction: Most potent toxic elements are derived from nature only. So safety and toxicological evaluation of plant extracts which are otherwise thought to be very safe, are mandatory. The zebrafish embryo has become an important model organism for toxicological research due to its small size, genetic similarity to humans, etc. The Objective: The objective of the present study is to determine acute toxicity that is lethal concentration fifty (LC₅₀) of whole plant ethanolic extract of Amaranthus viridis (A1), Aerva sanguinolenta (A2) & Cynodon dactylon (A3) on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos at a different time interval. Material and Method: Acute toxicity testing of the three whole plant ethanolic extracts A1, A2, A3 with six different concentrations each were performed according to OECD guideline 236 on Zebrafish embryos. Embryo development was monitored after 24 h interval for 120 h. After incubation, the living and dead embryos were evaluated using Light Microscope and images obtained with an optical camera. Statistical Analysis: LC₅₀ values were calculated using the Probit method in the SPSS package. Graphs were plotted using Sigma Plot. Result: Amaranthus viridis (A1), Aerva sanguinolenta (A2), Cynodon dactylon (A3) whole plant ethanolic extract have mean LC₅₀ of 316.22080 µg/ml, 575.42800 µg/ml, 35486.000 µg/ml respectively at a time interval of 24 hours on Zebrafish embryos. Conclusion: LC₅₀ values of three whole plant ethanolic extracts A1, A2, A3 with six different concentrations each on Zebrafish embryos will aid in determining the therapeutic dose of the plant extracts.