title: In vitro biological screening of the stem of Desmodium elegans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the medicinal importance of the stem of Desmodium elegans, methanolic extract, and its different solvent fractions were evaluated for brine shrimp lethality, insecticidal and phytotoxicity, antifungal, and antibacterial activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methanolic extract and its solvent fractions were tested for cytotoxic, phytotoxic, insecticidal, antifungal, and antibacterial effects using our previous published protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methanolic, DCM, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions exhibited insecticidal effect against Callosobruchus analis and Rhyzopertha dominic. The methanolic extract, n-hexane, DCM ethyl acetate and n-butanol showed 75, 85, 85, 65 and 5% phytotoxicity at the tested concentration of 500 µg/mL respectively. The solvent fractions (DCM and ethyl acetate) were effective against F. solani (10% and 20% inhibition respectively). All the tested samples were devoid of cytotoxic and antibacterial effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that this plant can be practiced for control of weeds and insects.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Southeast University Nanjing, 211189 China. arshad_yousafzai45@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Arshad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Rabia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.forename: Abdur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rauf
authors.forename: Ming-Liang
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.forename: Akhatar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aman
authors.forename: Taha Hussein Musa
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tahir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D029064:Araceae / Q000187:drug effects; D001156:Artemia; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D007814:Larva; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D007306:Insecticides; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Brine shrimp cytotoxicity; Desmodium elegans; Insecticidal and antimicrobial activities; Leguminosae; Phytotoxic