Abstract:
The embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees were assessed using zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton 1822) embryos. Mortality rate, hatchability, heart rate and morphological abnormalities were the parameters used to evaluate its embryotoxic and teratogenic potential. Reconstituted water and 4% ethanol were used as negative and positive controls for assessment, respectively. The study revealed that aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of Andrographis paniculata exhibited toxic effects on the development of the embryos. It was also noted that abnormalities like yolk sac edema and pericardial edema showed significant difference for both aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts as evidenced by their p values of 0.002 and 0.000003 for aqueous extract and 0.022 and 0.001 for methanolic extract, respectively. Despite the wide spectrum of pharmacological and medicinal benefits of Andrographis paniculata, it must be noted that at certain concentrations, this plant exhibit embryotoxic and teratogenic effects on the development of zebrafish embryos. The adverse effects on the embryo development can be attributed to the presence of different metabolites in the plant extracts like saponin, sterols and triterpenoids. For further studies, the researchers recommend to conduct biochemical and molecular tests in order to determine the mechanisms behind the results obtained.
