Biological screening of selected Pacific Northwest forest plants using the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) toxicity bioassay

The brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay was used to screen 211 methanol extracts from 128 species of Pacific Northwest plants in search of general cytotoxic activity. Strong toxicity (LC(50) < 100 µg/ml) was found for 17 extracts from 13 species, with highest activity observed for Angelica arguta roots at <10 µg/ml. Notably, four species of cedar trees and one of juniper in the family Cupressaceae dominated this group with LC(50) for heartwood extracts ranging from 15 to 89 µg/ml. Moderate toxicity (LC(50) 100–500 µg/ml) was found in 38 extracts from 27 species, while weak toxicity (LC(50) 500–1000 µg/ml) was detected for 17 extracts in 16 species. There were 139 extracts from 99 species that were non-toxic (LC(50) > 1000 µg/ml). Our subsequent studies of conifer heartwoods with strong activity confirm the assay’s value for identifying new investigational leads for materials with insecticidal and fungicidal activity.