Effect of Aqueous Stem Extract of Loranthus micranthus linn on Anti-microbial Sensitivity, Cytotoxicity, and In-vitro Anti-inflammatory Indices on Human Red Blood Cells

Aim: The present study was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous stem extract of Loranthus micranthus (African mistletoe) plant.

Methods: The Disc agar diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial susceptibility test of test organisms to determine the minimum zone of inhibition. The brine shrimp lethality test method was used in determining cytotoxicity, and the heat-induced membrane diffusion method was used for anti-inflammatory indices.

Results: In this study, the antimicrobial activity was evaluated using Escherichia Coli., Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus as test organisms which showed significant zones of inhibition at increasing concentrations (25, 50 and 100 mg/ml) of the plant extract. The result of the cytotoxic investigation after the use of brine shrimps as test organisms revealed that the plant was not toxic as the LC50 did not fall within the concentrations used in this study. Also, the aqueous stem extract of L. micranthus showed significantly lower optical densities of hemoglobin compared to the corresponding standard (Aspirin) concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 µg/ml. This result was in agreement with the % protection of the experimental plant, which showed a significant increase with an increase in concentration, which implies that the aqueous stem extract of L.micranthus has anti-inflammatory effects.

Conclusion: It can, therefore, be concluded that the usage of the aqueous stem extract of Loranthusmicranthus as a therapeutic drug would exert health benefits by virtue of its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and less toxicity, proved in this study.