ASSESSMENT OF CYTOTOXICITY AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF KALANCHOE PINNATA LINN. (FAMILY: CRASSULACEAE) LEAVES AND STEMS

Objective: In the present work, the leaves and stems of Kalanchoe pinnata Linn. (Family: Crassulaceae) have been investigated for screening phytochemicals, cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities. Materials and methods: Brine shrimp lethality (BSL) bioassay was used as a pre-screening method for cytotoxic effect. Ethanolic extract of the plant was tested by using this method. The agar disc diffusion method was used for antimicrobial assay of the plant extract. Results: The crude extract produced the most significant cytotoxic activity against brine shrimp Artemia salina (LC50: 100 mu g/mL and LC90: 204.17 mu g/mL). The ethanolic extract of Kalanchoe pinnata Linn. showed significant antibacterial activity against gram positive (B. Subtilis, S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. dysenteriae) bacteria with the zones of inhibition ranging from 6.0 +/- 0.35 to 8.2 +/- 0.22 mm. The phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extracts of Kalanchoe pinnata Linn. showed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, gums, flavonoids, saponins, reducing sugars and tannins. Conclusion: The obtained results provide a support for the use of this plant in traditional medicine. The plant studied can be a potential source of biologically active compounds as antitumor agent, antibacterial and pesticide.