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...

BACKGROUND In the Cameroonian traditional medicine, plants of the Capparidaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Liliaceae families are used to treat several metabolic diseases. These plants are rich in various compounds belonging to the glucosinolates and thiosulfinates family. Till date, very little studies have been done aiming at assessing the antioxidant and inflammatory properties of the essential oils...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are genotoxic chemicals commonly found in effluents from oil refineries. Bioassays using plants and cells cultures can be employed for assessing environmental safety and potential genotoxicity. In this study, the genotoxic potential of an oil refinery effluent was analyzed by means of micronucleus (MN) testing of Alium cepa, which revealed no effect after...

Volunteer potatoes are difficult to control in onions and can greatly reduce onion growth and yield. Herbicides and cultivation were evaluated for control of simulated volunteer potatoes in onions in 1996 and 2000. Three interrow cultivations did not control potatoes in the onion row and the remaining plants reduced onion yield 50 and 73% compared with the hand-weeded checks. Three applications...

In this study, toxicological safety (mutagenicity) and therapeutic potential (antimutagenicity) of water extract of Centella asiatica Linn., were evaluated using the Allium cepa assay. The mitotic index (MI) at 6.25% concentration of the extract decreased significantly from 3.13% to 2.05% after 24 h and 48 h, respectively, however, the MI increased significantly by 60% and 400% at 12.5% and 50....