Depending on age, phase in the cell cycle, nutrition, and environmental factors, individual cells exhibit large metabolic diversity. To explore metabolic variations in cell populations, laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) mass spectrometry (MS) was used for the in situ analysis of individual cells at atmospheric pressure. Single cell ablation was achieved by delivering mid-IR laser p...

Sensitivity of common onion (Allium cepa L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) to cadmium (Cd) stress was investigated using genotoxicity endpoints. Simultaneously, the antioxidative stress enzymes (guaiacol peroxidise and catalase) and lipid peroxidation [malonaldehyde (MDA) content] were investigated in the plants exposed to Cd in solution. The endpoints screened for genotoxicity included chromos...

An aqueous extract of Rhizophora mangle L. bark is used as raw material in pottery making in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. This extract presents large quantities of tannins, compounds possessing antioxidant properties. Tannin antioxidant activity, as a plant chemical defense mechanism in the process of stabilizing free radicals, has been an incentive to studies on anti-mutagenicity. The ...

Exposure to environmental pollutants often leads to an upsurge in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS oxidize cellular fatty acids to produce lipid peroxyl radicals, subsequently transformed into lipid peroxides, which decrease membrane fluidity and increase the activity of various enzymes implicated in degenerative diseases and cancer formation. Edible plants that contain exog...

The present study investigates the genotoxic, mutagenic, and cytotoxic potential of surface waters in urban streams using Allium cepa and analyzes the applicability of this assay for environmental monitoring. Water samples were collected from three streams located in the urban area of a municipality in the south of Brazil. For each stream, two samples were collected, one upstream and one downst...

This study evaluated the mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of inulin in a chromosomal aberration assay in cultures of the meristematic cells of Allium cepa. The treatments evaluated were as follows: negative control--seed germination in distilled water; positive control--aqueous solution of methyl methanesulfonate (10 μg/mL MMS); mutagenicity--aqueous solutions of inulin (0.015, 0.15, and 1.50 ...

Allium cepa var. agrogarum L. seedlings grown in nutrient solution were subjected to increasing concentrations of Cd2+ (0, 1, 10, 100 μM). Variation in tolerance to cadmium toxicity was studied based on chromosome aberrations, nucleoli structure and reconstruction of root tip cells, Cd accumulation and mineral metabolism, lipid peroxidation, and changes in the antioxidative defense system (SOD,...

Glycidol is used as a stabilizer in the manufacture of vinyl polymers and natural oils and as an intermediate in the synthesis of glycerol, glycidyl ethers, and amines. It is also used as an alkylating agent, demulsifier, and dye-leveling agent and for sterilizing milk of magnesia. Glycidol is an alkylating agent which reacts readily with glutathione; it causes a decrease in glutathione content...

BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a major worldwide public health problem with about two to three million humans threatened by this disease annually. Allium cepa (onion) is an important dietary vegetable and was used as a herbal medicine for centuries. The root of Ixora brachiata is medicinally important. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-Leishmania effect of the ethanoli...

Research was carried out on antibacterial activity of Allium cepa. Two different extracts were made from Allium cepa (onion) using distilled water. The extracts include fresh onion extract and cold water extract. The antibacterial activity of the onion was tested on four bacteria isolates associated with various ocular infections. The bacterial isolates include: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus...