Molecular and biochemical evaluation of genetic effect of Calotropis procera (Ait.) latex on Aspergillus terreus (Thom).

The present study was conducted to observe the genotoxic effect of latex of Calotropis procera. Dense conidial suspensions of Aspergillus terreus Thorn were treated with different concentrations of Calotropis latex and assayed for percentage survival, auxotrophic mutants, DNA and total protein contents and further subjected to RAPD and SDS-PAGE tests. It was found that latex of Calotropis procera had potent lethal and mutagenic activities. Percentage survival decreased as concentration or time of exposure increased. Frequency of auxotrophic mutants increased with increase in concentration or exposure time. Most auxotrophic mutants were amino acid requiring mutants. DNA and total protein contents of each mutant was significantly lower than wild type of Aspergillus terreus. RAPD demonstrated polymorphic genetic bands which were the electrophoretic products of PCR for all mutants compared with the wild type strain. SDS-PAGE results expressed a polymorphism of protein bands as well. All these results indicated the mutagenicity of latex of Calotropis procera.