Comparative phytotoxicity and chironomid toxicity assessments of leaf successive extract fractions of Asiatic poison bulb, Crinum asiaticum L.

Crinum asiaticum is an evergreen bulbous perennial shrub of Amaryllidaceae family with ethnomedicinal importance and our earlier study described a comparative account antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the different solvent-mediated sequential extract fractions. The present study aimed to analyze their comparative account of induced phytotoxicity and chironomid toxicity. For phytotoxicity assessment, germination inhibition and seedlings root and shoot growth retardation effects on Triticum aestivum and Cicer arietinum were analyzed and for lethal concentration determination, the freshwater bottom-dwelling first instars chironomid larvae were used. The crude aqueous, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts showed significant toxic effects on both meristematic tissue and aquatic midges. The phytotoxic assays indicate that the ethyl acetate fraction contains the most potent growth inhibitors, followed by the crude aqueous and petroleum ether fractions. The last aqueous fraction was found to be the least toxic, the highest LC50 and LT50 values and ethyl acetate extract fraction having highest toxicity. Thus the present study supplements to our earlier report, that indicated the last aqueous extract fraction of C. asiaticum has potent antioxidant and antibacterial potentials as well as its prospective use in livestock maintenance, as it is least toxic and the ethyl acetate extract, the most toxic fraction identified here, is needed to explore for pharmaceutical importance.