crude extract of Cigarette butts caused genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in Allium cepa

Abstract

Allium cepa root meristem cells were used to evaluate cytogenetic effects of cigarette butts crude extract. The effective concentration (EC50) was determined in Allium root growth as approximately 0.5 mg/ml. Cytological experiments were carried out using crude extract concentrations 0.25 (EC50/2), 0.5 (EC50) and 1 mg/ml (EC50X2) at 24, 48, 72 and 96h, with control for each combination. Mitotic index decreased with increasing concentration of cigarette butts crud extract at each exposure time. Micronucleated cells were observed at interphase. The frequency of the micronuclei was markedly higher at 1 mg/ml at 48h compared to the other test concentrations. In anaphase-telophase cells, the total percentages of bridges, vagrant chromosomes, c-anaphase and fragments according to total cells with chromosome aberrations calculated as 28.42, 16.67, 14.10 and 0.64% respectively. Total chromosome aberrations increased with an increasing in the cigarette butts crude extract concentration