Coden: Ijpnl6 Evaluation of Antimitotic Effect of Calotropis Procera L on Allium

Calotropis procera is a tropical medicinal plant known for its multiple curative effects on wide range of diseases. Current study has evaluated the antimitotic activity of the extracts of leaf and latex of C. procera on root meristem cells of Allium cepa. Onion bulbs were allowed to grow roots on moist cotton imbibed with solutions of test sample with known concentration of the extracts. Mitotic index was estimated in squash preparation of root tips collected after 72 hrs and compared with control. Reduction in mitotic index of the target cells was observed to varying extent among the treatments. Chloroform extract of the latex showed highest level of inhibition of cell division and ethyl acetate extract of the latex showed least inhibition, while chloroform extract of the leaf did not interfered with cell division. Outcomes of the study have indicated presence of potential anticancer component in C. procera.