Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia 2 (1) 2004

Toxic Effects of the Methanol Extracts of some Tunicate Species

IBRAHIM JANTAN, ZETI AZURA MOHAMED HUSSEIN,

ALMA AWALUDDIN & NAZNI WASI AHMAD

ABSTRAK

Toksisiti ekstrak metanol tujuh tunikat (Phallusia sp., Eudistoma obscuratum, Atriolum robustum, Didemnum sp., D. molle, Clavelina picta and Aplidium sp.) ke atas anak udang dan larva instar keempat nyamuk vektor (Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles maculatus, Aedes aegypti dan Ae. albopictus) telah dikaji. Ekstrak metanol tersebut adalah sangat toksik ke atas anak udang dengan nilai LC50 daripada 0.8 hingga 26.0 mg/ml dan yang paling toksik ialah ekstrak daripada Aplidium sp. Ekstrak-ekstrak tersebut juga efektif ke atas larva nyamuk dengan nilai LC50 daripada 1.2 hingga 55.6mg/ml. Aktiviti larvisidal ekstrak adalah sangat signifikan ke atas An. maculates dengan nilai LC50 daripada 1.2 hingga 6.2 mg/ml dan di antara mereka yang paling toksik ialah ekstrak E. obscuratum

Kata kunci: ekstrak metanol, tunikat, toksisiti, anak udang, larva nyamuk

ABSTRACT

The toxicities of the methanol extracts of seven tunicates (Phallusia sp., Eudistoma obscuratum, Atriolum robustum, Didemnum sp., D. molle, Clavelina picta and Aplidium sp.) on brine shrimp and the 4th instar larvae of four vector mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles maculatus, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus) were investigated. The extracts were very toxic to the brine shrimp with LC50 values ranging from 0.8 – 26.0 mg/ml and the most toxic being the extract from Aplidium sp. The extracts were also effective against the mosquito larvae with LC50 values ranging from 1.2 – 55.6 mg/ml. Larvicidal activity of the extracts was most significant on An. maculatus with LC50 values ranging from 1.2 – 6.2 mg/ml and of these, the most toxic was the extract of E. obscuratum.

Key words: methanol extracts, tunicates, toxicity, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae