Brine shrimp bioassay of Phoenix sylvestris.

Brine shrimp bioassay is a simple method for natural product research. The procedure determines LD50 values in microg/ml of active compound and extract in the brine medium. Three different extracts (methanol, chloroform and butanol) of the male flower inflorescence of Phoenix sylvestris were subjected to this bioassay. The results showed that the methanolic and butanolic extracts exhibit significant toxicity to the shrimps, while the chloroform extract was found to be non-toxic.