A bioassay using Artemia salina for detecting phototoxicity of plant coumarins

Artemia salina (brine shrimp) has been successfully used for toxicity testi ng, and a screening test for phototoxicity has been developed based on this method. The ability of the method to test the phototoxic potential of seve n known compounds was investigated. Athamantin tan angular furanocoumarin) and umbelliferone (a simple coumarin) showed no phototoxicity, while linear furanocoumarins exhibited phototoxic activity in the following order: psor alen > bergapten > peucedanin > xanthotoxin. The applicability of this meth od was also tested in screening the phototoxicity of plant material. Six pl ants from Apiaceae [Aegopodium podagraria L., Anethum graveolens L., Angeli ca archangelica L., levisticum officinalis Koch, Petroselinum crispum (P. M ill) A. W. Hill., and Peucedanum palustre (L.) Moench] and one from Rutacea e (Ruta graveolens L.) were selected, all of them known to contain furanoco umarins. Extracts from leaves collected at different times during the growt h period were used in the screening. Our results were in accordance with th e furanocoumarin content of these plants and with the results of other phot otoxicity tests. The Artemia salina method proved to be rapid, simple and i nexpensive, and is therefore ideal in the initial biological screening of l arge numbers of samples for simultaneous detection of both toxicity and pho totoxicity.