Efecto de Campyloneurum phyllitidis (L.) C. Presl y de Asplenium serratum L. sobre el desarrollo embrionario de Danio rerio

Abstract

The medicinal plants Campyloneurum phyllitidis and Asplenium serratum are used in popular medicine as abortifacient. The aim of this work was to evaluate the aqueous extracts of Campiloneurum phyllitidis and Asplenium serratum L. on the embryonic development of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to determine their possible toxic effects. Eggs of 4 hpf (hours after fertilization) and four concentrations (0.03%, 0.06%, 0.125% and 0.25%) of each medicinal plant were used; 2.4 mM caffeine was used as a positive control. They were exposed for five days, and parameters grouped into three categories were evaluated: Lethal effect (embryo coagulation), sub-lethal effect (absence of somite formation, heartbeat, blood circulation, pigmentation, hatching, edema formation, developmental delay), and teratogenic effect (deformation of the spine). In the evaluation of C. phyllitidis it was observed that the lethal effect was significant at the doses of 0.125 and 0.25%, no significant sub-lethal or teratogenic effect was observed, since between 90% and 100% of the embryos, respectively, coagulated. In the evaluation of A. serratum it was observed that the lethal effect was significant at the dose of 0.25%, the sub-lethal effects were significant at 0.06 and 0.125% (absence of somites, absence of heartbeats, absence of circulation and absence of pigments); the teratogenic effect was not significant. C. phyllitidis had a lethal effect (embryo coagulation), while A. serratum had significant effects on development, and a non-significant teratogenic effect was also recorded.