Phytochemical screening and cytotoxicity evaluation of Launaea Cornuta H. (Asteraceae) using brine shrimp

Abstract

Launaea cornuta is an erect perennial plant with hollow stems up to 1.5 m high and creeping rhizomes and belongs to the family of Asteraceae which is the largest family of flowering plants. A single plant can cover a large area as a result of spread by rhizomes. L. cornuta can become a dominant weed in a range of semiarid subtropical ecologies. The herb is native to Africa and occurs on alluvial soils in cultivated areas, including irrigated crops, on roadsides, near rivers and bush vegetation. L. cornuta is used as a wild vegetable in African communities as source for vitamin C. The decoction is used to treat typhoid, ear pain, stomach pain, chronic join pain, measles, gonorrhea, ascariasis, swollen testicles, warts, diabetes and in the management of breast cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia. The objective of the study was to carryout physical and chemical properties of the plant constituent as well as screening for cytotoxic activity against brine shrimps.