Asian Journal of Plant Sciences1682-39741812-5697Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/ajps.2011.274.277Kalanchoe pinnata L. (Crassulaceae)]]>ChowdhuryAnusua BiswasSubrata Kumar DasJoysree KarmakarUtpal Kumar ShillManik Chandra DuttaNayan 42011104Kalanchoe pinnata L. (Crassulaceae) has traditionally been used in Bangladesh as medicinal plant for the treatment and prevention of different diseases. In the present study the petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of the leaves and stems of the plant were used to investigate the cytotoxicity and antifungal activities using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and agar disc diffusion method, respectively. Phytochemical screening was also carried out according to the standard procedures. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the LC50 (μg mL-1) and LC90 (μg mL-1) of the petroleum ether extract of Kalanchoe pinnata L. were 25.12 μg mL-1 and 177.83 μg mL-1, respectively. The aqueous extract of the medicinal plant also showed lethality against the brine shrimp nauplii (LC50: 25.12 μg mL-1 and LC90: 173.78 μg mL-1). Moreover, the petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of Kalanchoe pinnata L. were investigated for their antifungal activity against six fungal strains and the results (diameter of zone of inhibition) were compared with the activity of the commercially available standard drug, Griseofulvin (30 μg disc-1). The petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of Kalanchoe pinnata L. (80 μg disc-1) showed moderate activity against all tested fungal strains with zones of inhibition ranging from 1.50±0.00 mm to 2.67±0.24 mm and 1.67±0.24 mm to 2.83±0.24 mm, respectively. The study also revealed that the fungal strains, Microsporum spp. (zone of inhibition: 2.67±0.24 mm) and Candida albicans (zone of inhibition: 2.83±0.24 mm) were more susceptible to the petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of the medicinal plant, respectively. Results of different qualitative phytochemical tests showed the presence of alkaloid, glycoside, gums, saponins, reducing sugar and tannins in the petroleum ether crude extract of Kalanchoe pinnata L. while alkaloid, glycoside, steroid, saponins, tannins were present in the aqueous extract of the plant. These findings indicated that the petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of the plant possessed cytotoxic and antifungal activities.]]>Bauer, A.W., W.M.M. Kirby, J.C. Sherris and M. Turck,196645493496Rossi-Bergmann, B., S.S. Costa, M.B.S. Borges, S.A. da Silva, G.R. Noleto, M.L.M. Souza and V.L.G. Moraes,2006Kalanchoe pinnata in mice.]]>82399402Cruz, E.A., S.A. Da-Silva, M.F. Muzitano, P.M. Silva, S.S. Costa and B. Rossi-Bergmann,2008816161621Ghani, A.,20032nd Edn.,Harlalka, G.V., C.R. Patil and M.R. Patil,2007Kalanchoe pinnata pers. (Crassulaceae) on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.]]>39201205Joseph, B., S. Sridhar, Sankarganesh, Justinraj and B.T. Edwin,20116322327Lans, C.A.,200624545Majaz, Q.A., S. Nazim, Q. Asir, Q. Shoeb and G.M. Bilal,2011in-vitro anthelmentic activity of Kalanchoe pinnata roots.]]>2221223Meyer, B.N., N.R. Ferrigni, J.E. Putnam, L.B. Jacobsen, D.E. Nichols and J.L. Mclaughlin,1982453134Nayak, B.S., J.R. Marshall and G. Isitor,2010Kalanchoe pinnata Lam. leaf--a preliminary study.]]>48572576Biswas, S.K., A. Chowdhury, J. Das, U.K. Karmakar and M.C. Shill,2011Kalanchoe pinnata L. (Family: Crassulaceae) leaves and stems.]]>226052609Supratman, U., T. Fujita, K. Akiyama, H. Hayashi and A. Murkami et al.,2001Kalanchoe pinnata and K. daigremontiana X tubiflora.]]>65947949Trease, G.E. and W.C. Evans,198913th Edn.,Pages: 546Pages: 546Yadav, N.P. and V.K. Dixit,2003Kalanchoe pinnata Pers.]]>86197202