www.tropicalplantresearch.com 390 Received: 10 April 2016 Published online: 31 August 2016 ISSN (E): 2349 – 1183 ISSN (P): 2349 – 9265 3(2): 390–395, 2016 Research article Evaluation of in-vitro cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity of methanolic extract of Xanthium indicum L. Muhammad Sazzad Hossain 1 , Md. Hossan Sakib 1* , Mohammad Shahin Alam 1 , Ahsan Ullah 2 , Sadequr Rahman 3 and Limon Kanti Shill 2 1 Department of Pharmacy, University of Science and technology Chittagong, Bangladesh 2 Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Bangladesh 3 Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh *Corresponding Author: sakibiiucph@gmail.com [Accepted: 16 July 2016] Abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity of methanolic extract of fruits of Xanthium indicum. Methanolic extract of Xanthium indicum, was used to evaluate its cytotoxicity in Brine shrimp lethality bioassay where vincristine sulphate was used as standard drug. Thrombolytic effect of the fraction was investigated in clot lysis experiment. In Brine shrimp lethality bioassay, LC50 value of the extract was 30.90 μg.ml -1 and vincristine sulphate served as the positive control showed LC50 value 10.51 μg.ml -1 . The extract exerted 48.47% lysis of the blood clot in thrombolytic activity test while 48.83% and 13.82% lysis were obtained for positive control (streptokinase) and negative control respectively. Compared to vincristine sulphate. It is evident that the methanolic extract of fruits of Xanthium indicum was cytotoxic. So, the extract possessed considerable thrombolytic activity. Which compounds is responsible for the present pharmacological actions and to know their mechanism of action, extensive pharmacological and phytochemical experiments are essential. Keywords: Xanthium indicum - Cytotoxic - Thrombolytic - Vincristine - Streptokinase. [Cite as: Hossain MS, Sakib MH, Alam MS, Ullah A, Rahman S & Shill LK (2016) Evaluation of In-Vitro Cytotoxic and Thrombolytic Activity of Methanolic Extract of Xanthium indicum L. Tropical Plant Research 3(2): 390–395] INTRODUCTION Due to the fact ancient times plants have served to be a natural source of treatments and therapies like aspirin, quinine, and coffee. Today, scientists are using these renewable resources to generate a new generation of therapeutic solutions. Plants improved by making use of biotechnology can produce the essential healthy proteins for innovative treatments for diseases like cancer, HIV, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's sickness, kidney disease, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, many sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Hepatitis G, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), morbid obesity, arthritis and iron deficiency. The by using natural products with therapeutic properties is usually as ancient as human civilization and, for an extended time, mineral, plant and animal products were the leading sources of drugs. Vincristine in addition to vinblastine from Catharanthus roseus, atropine by Atropa belladonna and morphine and codeine by Papaver somniferum. It is estimated that 60% connected with anti-tumor and anti-infectious drugs already out there or under clinical trial are connected with natural origin (Rates 2001). The vast flavor these cannot yet be synthesized economically and are also still obtained from wild or developed plants. Natural compounds can be cause compounds, allowing the design and lucid planning of new drugs, biomimetic synthesis development along with the discovery of new therapeutic properties not yet assigned to known compounds (Hamburger & Hostettmann et al. 1991). In addition, compounds like muscarine, physostigmine, cannabinoids, yohimbine, forskolin, colchicine in addition to phorbol esters, all obtained from facilities, are important tools used in medicinal, physiological and biochemical studies (Archana et al. 2011). Cytotoxicity is the products being toxic to cells. Cells exposed to a cytotoxic compound can respond in numerous ways. The cells may undergo necrosis, in which they lose membrane integrity and die rapidly on account of cell lysis; they can stop rising and dividing; or they can