Ecotoxicological assessment of metalworking fluids using the Allium cepa test procedure

Metalworking fluids (MWFs), which have a long history of use in industry and are in constant and ever-increasing use in parallel with advancements in mechanisation, are emulsions prepared with water. MWFs prepared as a 1/20 (MWF: water) mixture in practice, contain a large amount of water within their structure, and may become an aquatic toxic mixture in an ecosystem. In this study, half maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) values for MWFs were determined using the Allium cepa test, an accepted ecotoxicological biomonitor, and test solutions were prepared (1/250, 1/500 and 1/1000). Depending on the MWF ratio at each concentration, a decrease in the mitotic index (MI), irregularities in the phase distribution and aberrations in the chromosomes were observed. When the amount of MWF in the water increased, chromosomal abnormalities such as stickiness were observed to occur; whereas abnormalities such as c-mitosis, fragments, bridges, vagrants and micronucleus increased as the amount of the MWF decreased. Over a second 24-h period, it was observed that values, in particular MI, showed a tendency to return to normal.     

1,2,4-三氯苯对大蒜根尖分生细胞有丝分裂的影响

以大蒜根尖分生细胞为材料研究1,2,4-三氯苯(1,2,4-TCB)对有丝分裂的影响.结果表明,1,2,4-TCB使大蒜根尖分生细胞有丝分裂指数下降,且呈现明显的剂量-效应和时间-效应关系;1,2,4-TCB使有丝分裂前期细胞所占比例相对增加,中期、后期、末期细胞相对减少;与后期、末期相比,中期细胞的减幅更大;1,2,4-TCB各处理组的微核细胞发生率与对照组相比均没有统计学差异;双核细胞发生率在高浓度处理组与对照组相比,有极显著性的统计学差异(p＜0.01),并呈现一定的剂量-效应和时间-效应关系.研究表明,1,2,4-TCB对大蒜根尖分生细胞有丝分裂具有阻滞作用,并诱发有丝分裂异常的显著升高.     

Effects of Cd~(2+) on the nucleolus in root tip cells of Allium cepa

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Chicken manure increased concentration of organic sulfur compounds in field-grown onions

A field study was conducted at Kentucky State University (KSU) Research Farm. The soil in five plots was mixed with sewage sludge, five plots were mixed with yard waste compost, five plots were mixed with laying hen manure each at 15 t acre^?1, and five unamended plots that never received soil amendments were used for comparison purposes. Plots were planted with onion, Allium cepa L. var. Super Star-F1. The objectives of this investigation were to: 1) determine the concentrations of two organosulfur compounds (dipropyl disulfide and dipropyl trisulfide) in onion bulbs and 2) investigate the effect of mixing soil with three amendments (sewage sludge, yard waste, and chicken manure) on the concentration of dipropyl disulfide and dipropyl trisulfide in onion bulbs. Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analyses of onion oil in chloroform extracts revealed the presence of two major fragment ions that correspond to dipropyl disulfide and – trisulfide. Concentration of these two organic sulfur compounds was greatest (1.5 and 0.8 mg 100 g^?1 fresh weight, respectively) in onion bulbs of plants grown in chicken manure and lowest (0.4 and 0.07 mg 100 g^?1 fresh weight, respectively) in onion bulbs of plants grown in yard waste compost treatments. We concluded that chicken manure could be exploited in growing onions with health-promoting properties.     

2-Undecanone and 2-tridecanone in field-grown onion

A field study was conducted to investigate the impact of soil amendments on concentrations of two volatile organic compounds, 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone, in onion bulbs. The soil in five plots was mixed with sewage sludge, five plots were mixed with yard waste compost, five plots were mixed with laying hen manure each at 15 t acre^?1, and five unamended plots that never received soil amendments were used for comparison purposes. Plots (n = 20) were planted with onion, Allium cepa L. var. Super Star-F1 bulbs. Gas chromatographic/mass spetrometric (GC/MS) analyses of mature onion bulbs crude extracts revealed the presence of two major fragment ions that correspond to 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone. Soil amended with yard waste compost enhanced 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone production by 31 and 59%, respectively. Soil amended with chicken manure enhanced 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone production by 28 and 43%, respectively. Concentrations of 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone were lowest in onion bulbs of plants grown in sewage sludge and unamended soil, respectively. The increased concentrations of 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone in onion bulbs may provide a protective character against insect and spider mite attack in field grown onions.     

植物细胞对环境胁迫的适应性应答Ⅱ:过氧化氢是大蒜培养细胞应答氧化胁迫的灵敏指标

大蒜培养细胞暴露于冷、热、涝等典型的氧化胁迫条件下,或用活性氧引发剂甲基紫精和水杨酸处理细胞,均可导致过氧化氢急剧释放至胞外溶液中．但是,过氧化氢的暴发只是瞬时的,它们在５～１５ｍｉｎ内即达到峰值,随后逐减下降至基准水平．释出的过氧化氢之所以如此迅速消失,可能是因为自由基清除酶活力依时升高,尤其是胞外过氧化物酶活力增大的缘故     

Evaluation of DNA damage in the root cells of Allium cepa seeds growing in soil of high background radiation areas of Ramsar – Iran

Plants are unique in their ability to serve as in situ monitors for environmental genotoxins. We have used the alkaline comet assay for detecting induced DNA damage in Allium cepa to estimate the impact of high levels of natural radiation in the soils of inhabited zones of Ramsar. The average specific activity of natural radionuclides measured in the soil samples for ²²⁶Ra was 12,766 Bq kg⁻¹ whereas in the control soils was in the range of 34–60 Bq kg⁻¹. A positive strong significant correlation of the DNA damage in nuclei of the root cells of A. cepa seeds germinated in the soil of high background radiation areas with ²²⁶Ra specific activity of the soil samples was observed. The results showed high genotoxicity of radioactively contaminated soils. Also the linear increase in the DNA damage indicates that activation of repair enzymes is not triggered by exposure to radiation in HBRA.     

Potential genotoxic effects of melted snow from an urban area revealed by the Allium cepa test

The presence of well-known atmospheric pollutants is regularly screened for in large towns but knowledge about the effects of mixtures of different pollutants and especially their genotoxic potential is largely missing. Since falling snow collects pollutants from the air, melted snow samples could be suitable for evaluating potential genotoxicity. For this purpose the Allium cepa anaphase–telophase test was used to analyse melted snow samples from Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Samples of snow were taken at two sites, characterized by differences in pollution intensity, in three successive years. At the more polluted site the analyses showed a very high degree of both toxicity and genotoxicity in the first year of the study corresponding to the effects of the known mutagen used as the positive control. At the other site the situation was much better but not without warning signals. The results showed that standard analyses for the presence of certain contaminants in the air do not give an accurate picture of the possible consequences of urban air pollution because the genotoxic potential remains hidden. The A. cepa test has been demonstrated to be very convenient for evaluation of air pollution through analyses of melted snow samples.     

Host-plant leaf surface compounds influencing oviposition in Delia antiqua

Summary. Delia antiqua (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) females lay eggs between the leaves of onion plants or in the soil around the base of the plants, then the maggots feed on the onion bulb and roots causing rapid secondary infection by fungi and bacteria. It is well known that the first sensory modality used by the onion fly is vision, therefore the shape (vertical narrow cylinders) and colour (yellow) of the plant play a crucial role in the recognition of a potential host plant. In the past it has been shown that n-dipropyl disulfide (Pr₂S₂), a typical component of onion volatiles, is an important chemical host plant cue. We extracted host leaf surface to verify if Pr₂S₂ is the major chemical oviposition stimulant and to determine if other as yet unknown substances may play a role in host-plant selection. We confirmed that the females laid more eggs around onion plants with leaves than when only the onion bulb was present and that the odour of chopped onion stimulates oviposition. Extraction of the surface of onion leaves revealed that only the apolar fraction contained substances that stimulate egg-laying in D. antiqua. GC-EAD analysis indicated that a minor constituent, Pr₂S₂, is perceived by the olfactory receptor on the antennae of the onion fly females. This confirmed the importance of Pr₂S₂ as oviposition stimulant. Contact with the polar fraction did not stimulate egg-laying behaviour in this Delia species. We discuss the oviposition strategy of D. antiqua in comparison with its closely related species, D. radicum, in which the oviposition behaviour is stimulated mainly through contact with the cabbage leaf surface and only partially by the host volatiles.     

聚苯乙烯纳米塑料对大蒜生长生理的影响

自然环境中的微/纳米塑料污染日趋严重,但纳米塑料对农作物生长的潜在影响尚不清楚.通过营养液培养方式,探讨了粒径为80 nm的聚苯乙烯纳米塑料（polystyrene nanoplastics,PS-NPs）对金乡大蒜（Allium sativum L.）叶绿素含量、抗氧化性能和营养品质的影响.结果显示,添加PS-NPs处理的大蒜,其叶片叶绿素含量均显著低于对照组,叶绿素的合成受到抑制.大蒜叶片SOD、APX活性和脯氨酸含量随着PS-NPs质量浓度的增加呈先升高后降低的趋势.10 d处理时大蒜叶片POD活性随PS-NPs质量浓度的增加而上升,但在20 d处理时,各处理组POD活性均受到抑制.大蒜叶片MDA质量摩尔浓度随PS-NPs质量浓度的增加而增加,在ρ（PS-NPs）为100 mg·L^-1处理下,10 d和20 d处理时其含量相比对照分别增加43.24%和89.70%.同时,经ρ（PS-NPs）为100 mg·L^-1胁迫处理10 d后,大蒜叶片可溶性蛋白质、可溶性糖和维生素C含量均高于对照组,但20 d后,维生素C含量较对照则降低了26.53%.以上结果表明PS-NPs能对大蒜产生较为显著的氧化胁迫效应,且较高质量浓度的PS-NPs胁迫会对大蒜叶片的营养品质产生一定的影响.