Metacid-50 contains Methyl parathion. (50% w/w), emulsifier (10% w/w) and solvent (balance w/w). Methyl parathion belongs to organophosphorus group.
_??_1994
The Japan
Mendel
Society
Cytologia
59
: 419-422,
1994
Chromotoxic Effects of One Fungicide (Dithane M-45) and Two Insecticides (Aldrex-30 and Metacid-50) R. K. Pandey, Mutation
Accepted
September
Breeding
R. Shukla
and S. K. Datta
Laboratory
, National Botanical Lucknow-226 001 India
Research
Institute,
16, 1994
Different pesticides, insecticides and fungicides are being extensively used in modern agriculture. Genotoxic effects of these chemicals have been carried out by a number of workers on different plant species from time to time. One fungicide 'Dithane M-45' and two insecticides 'Aldrex -30' and 'Metacid-50' are used frequently not only in agricultural land but also used indiscriminately
for home
garden.
For giving
better
performance
of different
ornamentals
grown in pots or lawn of home garden and for better yield of different vegetables and others at kitchen garden, man spray these even at higher concentrations than the recommended doses. Use of such chemicals at home atmosphere for beautification of personal home gardens is of great human concern and warrants testing of their genotoxic effect. The current plan of work is proposed to study the genotoxic effect of above mentioned three chemicals on Allium cepa on the basis of chromosomal aberrations during root tip mitosis.
Materials
and
methods
Dithane M-45 is a new organic fungicide containing 75% of co-ordination product of zinc ion and manganese ethylene bis-dithiocarbamate as a wettable powder. This is very much effective against destructive fungal diseases like blight rots, blast and mildews. Recommended dose for foliage spray is 500 gm to 1kg of dithane M-45 in 350 to 500 litres of water. Aldrex -30 contains End-Exo HHDN [Hexachloro-hexahydro, dimethano, naphthalene (30%)] as active ingredient and solvent-emulsifier and stabilizer (70%) and recommended dose for it, is 3 ounces per hectare. This is highly toxic chemical found to be very much effectiveagainst most of the chewing and sucking insects and has tendency of vapour killing. Normally 1.5 to 5.0 per cent aqueous solution is used for spraying against mite. Metacid-50 contains Methyl parathion (50% w/w), emulsifier (10% w/w) and solvent (balance w/w). Methyl parathion belongs to organophosphorus group. It is so poisonous that vegetable and fruits should not be used at least 15 days after spray. It's recommended does is 0.05% to increasing upto 0.1% depending upon the size and age of the plant on which spray have to be done. Aqueous solutions of different concentrations of Dithane M-45 (0.20, 0.10, 0.050 and 0.025%), Aldrex-30 (2.00, 1.00, and 0.50%) and Metacid-50 (0.10, 0.050 and 0.025%) were made. Growing root apex of Allium cepa were dipped for 12hr in all the concentration of fungicides and insecticides along with water which served as control. Root tips were fixed in propiono-alcohol (1:2 v/v) for 3 hr. Root tips were stained in feulgen following usual hydrolysis method. Results Mitosis recorded
was normal
in the
treated
in control roots.
All
roots.
and discussion
A wide
the three
spectrum
chemicals
of chromosomal had
severe
effect
abnormalities on cell division.
were Cell
420
R. K. Pandey, R. Shukla and S. K. Datta
Cytologia 59
division was arrested and the percentage of dividing cells reduced with increase in concentra tion in all the cases. Screening of abnormalities revealed that clumping constituted the major abnormality irrespective of fungicide or insecticide. Other abnormalities recorded were bridges, fragment, exclusion, stickiness, early separation, cytomixis, micronuclei, disturbed polarity, binucleate nature and nuclear fusion and budding. Spectrum of abnormalities were more in Aldrex-30 (Figs. 1-3) and Metacid-50 (Figs. 4-6). Some abnormalities were found chemical specific-like exclusion in Dithane M-45 and disturbed polarity, nuclear fusion, budding and fragments in Metacid-50. Binucleate cells and micronuclei were observed in Aldrex-30 and Metacid-50. The individual abnormalities and the total abnormal cell increased
Fig. 1-6. Induced chromosomal abnormalities. 1. Clumping (0.50% Aldrex-30). 2. Micro nuclei (2.00% Aldrex-30). 3. Bridge (0.50% Aldrex-30). 4. Bridge (0.10% Metacid-50). 5. Laggard (0.025% Metacid-50). 6. Disturbed polarity (0.10% Metacid-50).
1994
with
Chromotoxic
Effects of One Fungicide
increase
in concentration
in all the
three
All three
presently
chemicals
were found
tested
and Two Insecticides
chemicals
(Tables
Table
1.
Chromosomal
aberrations after
Table
2.
Chromosomal
treatment
aberrations after
Table
3.
Chromosomal
treatment
detected with
with
effect on cell division
and
All the concentrations were capable and the frequency of abnormalities
during Dithane
detected
1-3) .
to have lethal
induced cytological disturbances during root tip mitosis. of inducing different types of chromosomal abnormalities
421
root
tip mitosis
of A . cepa
root tip mitosis
of A. cepa
M-45
during Aldrex-30
aberrations detected during root after treatment with Metacid-50
tip mitosis
of A. cepa
422
R. K. Pandey, R. Shukla and S. K. Datta
Cytologia
59
increased, in most cases, with increase in concentration. A linear correlation between the concentration and percentage of abnormalities were recorded in the presently treated chemi cals. Similar type of genotoxic effects of different chemicals have been carried out on different plant materials by several workers. These have been reported from time to time in different issues of cytologia (Adam et al. 1990, Bellani et al. 1991, Kumar and Sinha 1991, Ahmad and Yasmin 1992). From the present test it appears that Dithane M-45, Aldrex-30 and Metacid-50, which are used frequently at home and kitchen garden in addition to agriculture field have positive chromotoxic effects. Present investigation warrants indiscriminate spraying of these chemicals for chemotherapy
and plant
protective
measures
at home
garden
and kitchen
garden.
Summary Treatment
of different
concentrations
of Dithane
M-45, Aldrex-30
and Metacid-50
showed
positive chromotoxic effects in Allium cepa root meristem. Effects included high lethality for cell division, clumping, bridges, fragments, cytomixis, disturbed polarity etc. Such genotoxic effects warrants frequent use of these chemicals.
Acknowledgements Thanks providing
are due
to the Director,
National
Botanical
Research
Institute,
Lucknow
for
the facilities.
References
Adam, Z. M., Ebab, F. A. and EI-Shaikh, I. A. 1990. Alterations in nucleic acid, protein content and mitotic division of Viciafaba root tip cells as effected by Malathion and Tamron insecticides. Cytologia 55: 349-355. Ahmad, S. and Yasmin, R. 1992. Effects of Methyl Parathion and Tri-miltox on the mitosis of Allium cepa. Cytologia 57: 155-160. Bellani, L. M., Rinallo, C. and Bennici, A. 1991. Cytomorphological alterations in Allium roots induced by surfactants. Environmental and Experimental Botany 31(2): 179-185. Kumar, U. and Sinha, S. S. N. 1991. Genotoxic effects of two pesticides (Rogor and Bavistin) and an antibiotic (Streptomycin) in meiotic cells of grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.). Cytologia 56: 209-214.
