Abstract
The aim of the study is to observe the cytotoxic activitiy of methanolic crude extracts of root of Justica adhatoda a plant belonging to the family Acanthaceae. The root of Justica adhatoda was extracted with organic solvent and the extracts were used for the observation of cytotoxic activitiy. Crude extracts (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and chloroform soluble fraction) of Justica adhatoda, were screened for cytotoxic activity using brine shrimp lethality bioassay. A reputed cytotoxic agent vincristine sulphate was used as a positive control. From the results of the brine shrimp lethality bioassay it can be well predicted that n-hexane, ethyl acetate and chloroform soluble fraction of methanolic crude extracts possess cytotoxic principles (with LC50 1.129 mu g/ml, LC50 1.402 mu g/ml and LC50 2.130 mu g/ml respectively) comparison with positive control vincristine sulphate (with LC50 0.563 mu g/ml).