Cyto- and Genotoxic Activity of Pesticide Cypermex Plus 550 EC on Allium cepa L.

The impact of pesticides on crop production is undoubtedly profitable, but they constitute a common and widespread cause of soil, water and air pollution, especially in developing countries as Albania. Remaining available into the environment, pesticides can be locally and globally dangerous for ecosystems. Many studies using different bioassays have demonstrated their harmful toxic effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the short-term cyto- and genotoxic activity of the insecticide cypermex plus 550 EC (Chloropyrifos 50% + Cypermetrin 5% EC) on a crop plant and bioassay as Allim cepa L. The roots of onion bulbs were exposed for 48 h to three doses, representing ¼, ½ and EC50 concentrations of the pesticide. The following microscopic parameters: mitotic and phase indexes, micronuclei formation and chromosomal aberration frequency and types were evaluated and compared. The results showed obvious pesticide concentration-dependence. Mitotic index substantially decreased at the highest applied concentration in particular, while accumulation of dividing cells in prophase stage started being significant since at ½ EC50 of cypermex plus. The frequencies of abnormal dividing cells and intephase micronucleated cells were considerably increased, as well. Physiological and clastogenic types of chromosomal aberrations, as: bridges, multipolarity, laggard chromosomes and c-anaphase, were observed in all concentrations. The current data obviously demonstrated that the analyzed concentrations of cypermex plus insecticide (commonly used and applied for decades in Albanian agriculture) can potentially induce cyto/genotoxic effect (even mutagenic and clastogenic impact) on crops and non target organisms, ultimately damaging biota and human health.

___

  • Agrawal A, Sharma B, (2010) Pesticides induced oxidative stress in mammalian systems: A review. Int. J. Bio. & Med. Res., 1, 90-104.
  • Amin AW, (2002) Cytotoxicity testing of sewage water treatment using Allium cepa chromosome aberration assay. Pak. J. of Bio. Sci. 5, 184-188.
  • Amir N, Suprayitno E, Hardoko N, Nursyam HN, (2015) The effect of cypermethrin on Jambal Roti to AST and ALT levels the Wistar Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Int. J. of PharmTech Res., 8, 235-240.
  • Antonise-Wiez D, (1990) Analysis of the cell cycle in the root meristem of Allium cepa under the influence of Ledakrin. Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica, 26, 79-96.
  • Asita OA, Matobole RM, (2010) Comparative study of sensitivities of onion and broad bean root meristematic cells to genotoxins. Af. J. Biotech., 9, 4465-4470
  • Badrane N, Ascour M, Berechid K, Abidi K, Dendane T, Zeggwagh AA, (2014) Severe oral and intravenous insecticide mixture poisoning with diabetic ketoacidosis. BMC Res. Notes, 7, 485-491.
  • Barbério A, (2013) Bioassays with Plants in the Monitoring of Water Quality. In: Water Treatment, Elshorbagy W, Chowdhury RK, (Eds) Rijeka, Croatia: In: Tech. http://www.intechopen.com/ books/water-treatment/bioassays-with-plants-in-the-monitoring-of-water-quality
  • Bohmont BL, (2006) Standard Pesticide User's Guide, 7th Ed, Prentice Hall. Bolognesi C, Merlo FD, (2011) Pesticides: Human health effects. Encycl. Environ. Health, 438-453. Chauhan LKS, Saxena PN, Gupta SK, (1999) Cytogenetic effects of cypermethrin and fenvalerate on the root meristem cells of A. cepa, Environ. Experimental Botany. 42, 181-189.
  • Cox C, (1995) Insecticide fact sheet. Chlorpyrifos, Part 2: Human exposure. J. Pest. Ref., 15, 14-20. EPA Environmental Protection Agency (1997) Office of Pesticide Programs reference dose tracking report. http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/ tracking/tracking.htm
  • EPA Environmental Protection Agency (2015) Ingredients Used in Pesticide Products: Chlorpyrifos. http://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/chlorpyrifos
  • Fiskesjö G, (1997) Allium test for screening chemicals: evaluation of cytological parameters. In: Plants for Environmental Studies. pp. 308-333, Wang W; Gorsuch JW; Hughes JS, (Eds). CRC Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, New York.
  • Grant WF, (1999) Higher plant assays for the detection of chromosomal aberrations and gene mutations-A brief historical background on their use for screening and monitoring environmental chemicals. Mutation Research, 426, 107-112.
  • Grover IS, Kaur S, (1999) Genotoxicity of wastewater samples from sewage and industrial effluent detected by the Allium root anaphase aberration and micronucleus assays. Mutation Research, 426, 183-188.
  • Hernández AF, Parrón T, Tsatsakis AM, Requena M, Alarcón R, López-Guarnido O, (2013) Toxic effects of pesticide mixtures at a molecular level: their relevance to human health. Toxicology, 307, 136-145.
  • Jeong H, Forster L, (2003) Empirical investigation of agricultural externalities: effects of pesticide use and tillage system on surface water. Department of agricultural, environmental and development economics. In: Ohio State University. Working Paper. file: C:/Users/User/Downloads/Empirical_Investigation_of_Agricultural_Externali%20(1).pdf Kopliku D, Mesi AD, (2012) Toxicity screening of water sources in flooded agricultural areas of NënShkodra lowland using Allium cepa L. assay. J. Environ. Sci. & Engin. A; 10, 1197-1202.
  • Kopliku D, Mesi AD, (2015) Potential mutagenic activity of leachate from a municipal solid waste landfill on two higher plants, ATINER'S Conference Paper Series, No: BIO2015-1697.
  • http://www.atiner.gr/papers/BIO2015-1697.pdf
  • Leme DM, Marin-Morales MA, (2009) Allium cepa test in environmental monitoring: A review on its application. Reviews in Mutation Research, 682, 71-81.
  • Ma, TH, Xu Z, Xu C, McConnell H, Rabago VE, Arreola AG, Zhang H, (1995) The improved Allium/Vicia root tip micronucleus assay for clastogenicity of environmental pollutants. Mutation Research, 334, 185-195.
  • Ma TH, Cabrera GL, Owens E, (2005) Genotoxic agents detected by plant bioassays. Rev. Environ. Health, 20, 1-13.
  • Majer BJT, Uhl GM, Knasmüller S, (2005) Use of plant bioassays for the detection of genotoxins in the aquatic environment. A. Hydrochimica Hydrobiologica, 33, 45-55.
  • Mesi AD, Kopliku D, (2013) Investigation of cyto-physiological reaction of Allium cepa L. to roundup herbicide. Proceeding of the 3d International Conference of Ecosystems, May 31-June 5, pp. 986-993, Tirana, Albania
  • Mesi AD, Kopliku D, (2013) Cytotoxic and genotoxic potency screening of two pesticides on Allium cepa L. Procedia Technology, 8, 19-26. 6th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture, Food & Environment, Sept. 19-22, Corfu Greece.
  • Nowell LH, Norman J, Patrick W, Moran C, Jeffrey D, Martin D, Wesley W, Stone D, (2014) Pesticide Toxicity Index-A tool for assessing potential toxicity of pesticide mixtures to freshwater aquatic organisms. Scie. Tot. Environ., 476, 144-157.
  • Nuro A, Marku E, (2011) Organochlorine pesticides residues for some aquatic systems in Albania. In: Pesticides-Formulations, Effects, Fate. Stoytcheva M, (Ed), pp. 351-374. InTech, http://www.intechopen.com/books/pesticides-formulations-effects-fate/ organochlorinepesticides-residues-for-some-aquatic-systems-in-albania
  • PAN AP Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (2013) Chlorpyrifos. http://www.panap.net/ sites/default/files/monograph-chlorpyrifos.pdf.
  • Panda BB, Sahu UK, (1985) Induction of abnormal spindle function and cytokinesis inhibition in mitotic cells of Allium cepa by the organophosphorus insecticides fensulfothion. Cytobios, 42, 147-155.
  • Rao BV, Narasimham TL, Subbarao MV, (2005). Relative genotoxic effects of cypermethrin, alphamethrin, fenvalerate on the root meristems of Allium cepa. Cytologia, 70 (3), 225-231.
  • Singh R J, (2000) Plant cytogenetics. 2nd Ed., pp.14. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
  • Steinkellner H, Mun-Sik K, Helm C, Ecker A, Ma S, Horak T, Kundi MO, Knasmuller S, (1998) Geno-toxic effects of heavy metals: comparative investigation with plant bioassays. Environ. & Molec. Mutagenesis, 31, 183-191.
  • Turkoğlu S, (2012) Determination of genotoxic effects of chlorfenvinphos and fenbuconazole in A. cepa root cells by mitotic activity, chromosome aberration, DNA content, and comet assay. Pest. Biochemistry and Physiology, 103, 224-230.
  • Wielgomas B & Krechniak J, (2007) Toxicokinetic interactions of α-cypermethrin and Chlorpyrifos in rats. Polish J. Environ. Stu., 16, 267-274.
  • Yekeen TA, Adeboye MK, (2013) Cytogenotoxic effects of cypermethrin, deltamethrin, lambdacyhalothrin and endosulfan pesticides on Allium cepa root cells. Af. J. Biotech., 41 (12), 6000-6006.