Biological activity of Cassia tora L. Evaluated by dose-mortality, repellent activity, cytotoxicity, larvicidal activity and piscicidal activity

Abstract

Petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (CHCl₃), and methanol (CH₃OH) extracts of the whole Cassia tora Linn. plant were evaluated by dose-mortality tests and for their repellent activity against Callosobruchus chinensis L., Sitophilus oryzae L., and Tribolium castaneum (Hbst.), their cytotoxicity against Artemia salina L. nauplii, their larvicidal activity against Culex quinquefasciatus Say larvae, and their piscicidal activity against the fish Poecilia reticulata Peters, under laboratory conditions. In the dose-mortality test, the PE and CH₃OH extracts of the tested plant showed favorable results against C. chinensis, the PE extract was the most active with an LD₅₀ of 1.51 mg/cm² after 48 h of exposure. Against S. oryzae, the PE extract showed the highest activity with an LD₅₀ of 0.62 mg/cm² after 48 h of exposure. And against T. castaneum, only the PE and CH₃OH extracts of the tested plant caused mortality, while the PE extract was more active with an LD₅₀ of 0.82 mg/cm² after 48 h of exposure. However, the C. tora extract with CHCl₃ induced no mortality in C. chinensis or T. castaneum. In the repellent test, with the exception of the PE and CHCl₃ extracts against T. castaneum, all extracts showed significant repellent activity against C. chinensis, S. oryzae, and T. castaneum. Regarding the cytotoxicity test, all C. tora extracts reacted against A. salina nauplii, with the PE extract proving the most effective, with a minimum LC₅₀ of 33.54 ppm after 48 h of exposure. Against C. quinquefasciatus larvae, the CHCl₃ extract exhibited the highest larvicidal activity, with an LC₅₀ of 60.93 ppm after 48 h of exposure. During the piscicidal activity test, only the CH₃OH extracts of the tested plant showed promising results against the fish P. reticulata, with an LC₅₀ of 28.85 ppm after 48 h of exposure. In contrast, the PE and CHCl₃ extracts of C. tora were not lethal to P. reticulata.

J. Bio-Sci. 33(1): 101-112, 2025