Plant-based natural products have shaped traditional knowledge systems due to their numerous biological and pharmacological utility. However, in addition to their extensive utilization, some of these plants are also known for their toxicological properties. Since the foundation of human civilization, these toxic plants were used for fishing, hunting and safeguarding against enemies. In this study, a total of five plant species used in ethnofishery were considered for the toxicological study. The toxicities of these plants were evaluated using Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA) and LC50 values were estimated. All the plants have displayed the toxic effect and have been graded to be highly toxic (i.e., LC50 of 0-100 μg/ml or LC50 < 1000 μg/ml). Furthermore, with the lowest LC50 (0.14 in 12 h of incubation), the plant species D. scandens was reported to be the most toxic. The toxic plants have an important role in rural livelihood; however, if the concentration of these compounds from poisonous plants reaches a high concentration in the vulnerable biological system, it could bring a devastating health-related issue for the frequent consumers.
Keywords: Cytotoxicity; Ethnofishery; Indigenous knowledge; Poisonous plants; Tradition.
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