Open AccessDie toksisiteit van <i>Gladiolus dalenii<i/> van Geel
Author(s) -
Sandra van Dyk,
L. M. Gerritsma Van der Vijver,
D. G. van der Nest
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
suid-afrikaanse tydskrif vir natuurwetenskap en tegnologie/die suid-afrikaanse tydskrif vir natuurwetenskap en tegnologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2222-4173
pISSN - 0254-3486
DOI - 10.4102/satnt.v13i4.594
Subject(s) - corm , gladiolus , iridaceae , chemistry , botany , horticulture , traditional medicine , biology , medicine
The biological activity of Gladiolus dalenii van Geel (Iridaceae) corms (used in ethnomedicine) and leaves were evaluated in a few systems. A profile of acute toxicity in rats was compiled and it was found that both corms and leaves contained cytotoxic substances affecting mitotic active tissue. Acute deaths resulted from congestive heart failure. The toxicity of a fraction (coded as GDI) isolated from corms was qualitatively similar to that of corms and leaves. Estimated minimum lethal doses, given in mg/kg body weight, lie in the range 10-31 (i.p.) and 3 160 - 5 620 (p.o.) for corms, 100-316 (i.p.) and > 1 780 (p.o.) for leaves and 1-3 (i.p.) and > 1 000 (p.o.) for fraction GDI. Intact plant material showed no activity against a series of microbes. Fraction GDI was active against Candida albicans. Phototoxicity was not detected