Assessing the Bioactivity of Bryophyllum pinnatum Leaves powder on Drosophila melanogaster: A Toxicological Study

Using Drosophila melanogaster as an experimental organism, this study examined the bioactivity and possible harmful consequences of Bryophyllum pinnatum leaves powder. In order to assess phenotypic differences among five filial generations (F1–F5), the leaves powder was added to culture media at different concentrations (1.0 g/g, 0.5 g/g, and 0.25 g/g). The leaves powder caused developmental abnormalities, such as apterous wings, small stature, and narrow abdomens as seen by phenotypic traits. Significant impacts of leaf powder concentration were shown by statistical studies, such as one-way ANOVA, on both the total number of flies (p = 0.004) and the total number of mutant flies (p = 0.048). These parameters, however, were not significantly impacted by the filial generation itself. The findings imply that B. pinnatum metabolites affect D. melanogaster phenotypic plasticity, possibly as a result of secondary plant chemicals that function as growth inhibitors or modulators of allelochemical plasticity. These results support the wider implications of B. pinnatum in pharmacological and toxicological applications by highlighting its capacity to modify insect physiology. The underlying molecular mechanisms and their possible use in the creation of drugs and biopesticides should be investigated in future studies.