Effects of Ca2+ ions antagonistic to Al3+ ions poisoningin root growth , cell division and nucleolusin root tip cells of Allium cepa

The effects of different aluminium chloride concentrations together with varying calciumchloride concentrations on root growth, cell division and nucleoli in root tip cells of Allium cepa werestudied. The concentrations used for aluminium chloride were 10^-4, 10^-3 and 10^-2 mol/L ; and for calcium chloride were 10^-5 , 10^-4 , 10^-3 and 10^-2 mol/L, respectively. The results showed that after thetreatments with 10^-2 to 10^-3 mol/L Al³⁺ , root growth was severely inhibited , a large nurnber of thecells with c-mitosis were induced and the nucleolar material was extruded from the nucleus into the cytoplasm. However , the treatments with 10^-2 to 10^-3 mol/L of Al³⁺ together with 10^-2)to 10^-5 mol/LCa²⁺ suggested that Ca²⁺ gave the obviously protective effects against Al³⁺ poisoning in root growth.cell division and nucleoli of the root tip cells in A. cepa. The possible mechanism of these protective effects of Ca²⁺) is also briefly discussed.     

A study on genotoxicity of textile dyeing industry effluents from Rajshahi,Bangladesh, by the Allium cepa test

Textile dye effluents are believed to be toxic as they might exert various harmful effects on living organisms including genotoxicity. These effluents are the main source of direct and continuous input of pollutants into the aquatic ecosystems. In this study, dye effluents from a local silk dyeing industry were analysed for their genotoxic potential by the Allium cepa genotoxicity test. The A. cepa test is characterised as a genotoxicity test where the roots of A. cepa are grown in different concentrations of the test material. The macroscopic results clearly showed that the toxicity of the dye effluents prompted A. cepa root growth inhibition, and this effect increased with higher concentrations of the effluents. At the cellular level, no dividing cells were found at higher concentrations such as 60%, 80% and 100% of the effluents. However, at a lower concentration of 20%, dividing cells were identified, although the mitotic index was much lower than that of the control. Microscopic analysis showed that the dye effluents induced chromosomal aberrations at significant levels. Taken together, these results revealed that the textile dyeing industry effluents are toxic to eukaryotic cells and these dyes have genotoxic properties that can potentially lead to cancer development and adverse health conditions.     

Direct determination of neonicotinoid insecticides in an analytically challenging crop such as Chinese chives using selective ELISAs

ABSTRACT

Easy-to-use commercial kit-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been used to detect neonicotinoid dinotefuran, clothianidin and imidacloprid in Chinese chives, which are considered a troublesome matrix for chromatographic techniques. Based on their high water solubility, water was used as an extractant. Matrix interference could be avoided substantially just diluting sample extracts. Average recoveries of insecticides from spiked samples were 85–113%, with relative standard deviation of <15%. The concentrations of insecticides detected from the spiked samples with the proposed ELISA methods correlated well with those by the reference high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The residues analyzed by the ELISA methods were consistently 1.24 times that found by the HPLC method, attributable to loss of analyte during sample clean-up for HPLC analyses. It was revealed that the ELISA methods can be applied easily to pesticide residue analysis in troublesome matrix such as Chinese chives.     

植物细胞对环境胁迫的适应性应答Ⅰ:水杨酸对大蒜培养细胞中超氧化物歧化酶的增效诱导

大蒜培养细胞对水杨酸的应答比对温度和水分胁迫的应答更为强烈，其主要特征是抗氧化酶类超氧化物歧化酶的大量生成，同时还观察到水杨酸对冷胁迫或热休克介导的酶诱导作用的强化．上述结果暗示着自由基的生成是环境胁迫作用于植物细胞的机制之一，水杨酸诱导产生的抗氧化活性高于冷胁迫或热休克．这表明化学胁迫可能以一种与物理胁迫不同的方式诱导超氧化物歧化酶同工酶的生成     

Effects of Ca￣（2＋）ions antagonistic to Al￣（3＋）ions poisoning in root growth，cell division and nucleolus in root tip cells of Allium cepa

ＥｆｆｅｃｔｓｏｆＣａ￣（２＋）ｉｏｎｓａｎｔａｇｏｎｉｓｔｉｃｔｏＡｌ￣（３＋）ｉｏｎｓｐｏｉｓｏｎｉｎｇｉｎｒｏｏｔｇｒｏｗｔｈ，ｃｅｌｌｄｉｖｉｓｉｏｎａｎｄｎｕｃｌｅｏｌｕｓｉｎｒｏｏｔｔｉｐｃｅｌｌｓｏｆＡｌｌｉｕｍｃｅｐａＬｉｕＤｏｎｇｈ...     

Effects of Zn2+ on root growth,cell division, and nucleoli of Allium cepa L.

The effects of different concentrations of Zn²⁺ion on root growth,cell division,and nucleoli of Allium cepa were studied. The test Zn²⁺ ion concentration was made up from zinc sulphate (ZnSO₄. 7H₂O) ranging from 10^-7 to 10^-2 mol/L. The solutions were prepared in tap water (pH =6. 5).The results indicated that Zn²⁺ could obviously inhibit root growth at concentrations from 10^-4)to 10^-2 mol/L.Roots treated with zinc sulphate showed the presence of c-mitosis, anaphase bridges,including sticky and fluidized bridges (at 10^-3 to 10^-2 mol/L) , chromosome stickiness, irregularly shaped nuclei, broken nuclei and micronuclei. A toxicity effect was also observed on the nucleoli using silver staining technique after 48h of treatment with 10^-4to 10^-2 mol/L Zn²⁺, e. g,the nucleolar particulate material scattered around the nucleoli in the nucleus of root tip cells.     

Genotoxic assessment on river water using different biological systems

This paper reports genotoxicity and toxicity data in water samples collected in Sinos River, an important water course in the hydrographic region of Guaíba Lake, Rio Grande do Sul State, south of Brazil. This river is exposed to intense anthropic influence by numerous shoes, leather, petrochemical, and metallurgy industries. Water samples were collected at two moments (winter 2006 and spring 2006) at five sites of Sinos River and evaluated using in vitro V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (cytotoxicity, comet assay and micronucleus test) and Allium cepa test (toxicity and micronucleus test). Comet and micronucleus tests revealed that water samples collected exerted cytotoxic, toxic, genotoxic and mutagenic effects. The results showed the toxic action of organic and inorganic agents found in the water samples in all sites of Sinos River, for both data collections. The main causes behind pollution were the domestic and industrial toxic discharges. The V79 and A. cepa tests were proved efficient to detect toxicity and genotoxicity caused by complex mixtures. This study also showed the need for constant monitoring in sites with strong environmental degradation caused by industrial discharges and urban sewages.     

Study of the effect of refinery waste water exposure on Allium cepa's enzymatic antioxidant defense: probing potential biomarkers

The effects of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and various toxicants present in Mathura Refinery Waste Water (MRWW) on Allium cepa were examined as a model plant system. The study was based on exposure of A. cepa to different concentrations of MRWW and compared to untreated control (exposure of onion bulbs with aquaguard purified water) to determine the total protein content and activities of certain antioxidant enzymes. These enzymes were evaluated for their efficacy to serve as biomarkers of refinery waste water pollution. DNA damaging potential of MRWW was also investigated. Data demonstrated maximal enhancement in ascorbate peroxidase activity subsequent to MRWW insult, although a significant increase in activities was also noted for other enzymes in the following order: superoxide dismutase?>?glutathione-S-transferase?> catalase. This is suggestive of their potency as a biomarker of MRWW toxicity. Increase in activities of monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR; 152%) and deoxyribonuclease (345%) were also found in the A. cepa system as a result of MRWW exposure. In conclusion, A. cepa system might thus serve as an appropriate tool for monitoring water pollution, especially produced by petroleum waste and heavy metals in term of induction of glutathione peroxidase, MDHAR, and deoxyribonuclease activity.     

Genotoxic effects of Bismuth (III) oxide nanoparticles by Allium and Comet assay

Genotoxic effects of Bismuth (III) oxide nanoparticles (BONPs) were investigated on the root cells of Allium cepa by Allium and Comet assay. A. cepa roots were treated with the aqueous dispersions of BONPs at five different concentrations (12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm) for 4 h. Exposure of BONPs significantly increased mitotic index (MI) except 12.5 ppm, total chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in Allium test. While stickiness chromosome laggards, disturbed anaphase–telophase and anaphase bridges were observed in anaphase–telophase cells, pro-metaphase and c-metaphase in other cells. A significant increase in DNA damage was also observed at all concentrations of BONPs except 12.5 ppm by Comet assay. The results were also analyzed statistically by using SPSS for Windows; Duncan’s multiple range test was performed. These results indicate that BONPs exhibit genotoxic activity in A. cepa root meristematic cells.     

Environmental mutagenicity and toxicity caused by sodium metabisulfite in sea shrimp harvesting in Piauí, Brazil

Sodium metabisulfite is used in marine shrimp harvesting to prevent the occurrence of black spots. Shrimps are soaked in a sodium metabisulfite solution in ice, which is disposed of in sewages that run into marine canals, creating an environmental hazard. This study evaluates the toxicity and mutagenicity caused by sodium metabisulfite in sea waters and sediments collected in a shrimp farm in Cajueiro da Praia (Luis Correia), state of Piauí, Brazil, using the Allium cepa assay. Water and sediment samples were collected in the dry and in the rainy seasons, in three sites: upstream the shrimp farm (Site 1), at the point sodium metabisulfite is discharged (Site 2), and 100 m downstream the farm (Site 3). Three sample dilutions were used (50%, 25% and 10%) for all samples. A negative control (well water) and a positive control (copper sulfate 0.0006 mg mL⁻¹) were used in each experiment. At the end of the 72-h exposure period, onion roots were measured and removed. Mutagenicity analysis included the determination of mitotic index, chromosomal aberrations and the detection of micronuclei; analysis of root size and mitotic index were used as an index of toxicity. The A. cepa assay revealed that the water and sediments samples collected in the Piauí coast contaminated with sodium metabisulfite induce toxicity. The results demonstrate that the assay may be used as a regular tool in the analysis of water parameters in shrimp farms in the coast of Piauí state, and in strategies to preserve the region’s marine ecosystem.