The study of bioactive compounds from plant sources and extracts in the
chemical laboratory is often hampered by the lack of a suitable, simple, and rapid
screening procedure. There are many procedures for bioassay that are employed
using whole animals, isolated tissues or biochemical systems. These bioassays can
be quite complicated and expensive. A practical procedure for general toxicity
screening is, therefore, essential as a preliminary stage in the study of bioactive
plants. A model animal that has been used for this purpose is the brine shrimp,
Artemia salina Leach [2-6].