Genotoxicity of Two Organophosphate Insecticides Based on Allium Test

• Main Authors: Adoracion Arañez, Raquel Rubio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of the Philippines 1993-12-01
• Series: Science Diliman
• Subjects: organophosphate insecticides; genotoxicity; chromosomal abnormalities
• Online Access: http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/sciencediliman/article/view/277

The genotoxicity of two organophosphate insecticides, Folidol and Malathion, was each determined on root tip chromosomes of onion (Allium cepa L.). Acetocarmine squash preparations of roots grown from seeds untreated (control) and treated with two concentrations of Folidol (0%, 0.5% and 0.75%) and three of Malathion (0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%) resulted in statistically insignificant differences in mitotic indices. The root cells grown from pesticide-treated seeds exhibited chromosomal abnormalities such as rings, laggards, bridges, disoriented and precocious chromosomes, as well as polyploidy. Frequency of chromosomal aberrations for seeds treated with 0%, 0.5%, and 0.75% Folidol were 2%, 10%, and 12%, respectively, while those treated with 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0% Malathion were 3.1%, 6.01%, 8.9%, and 8.3%, respectively.