Toxic effects of indoxacarb on Allium cepa L. root tip meristem cells

Pesticides, the use of which has increased dramatically, are used in modern agriculture to control pests such as insects, weeds, microorganisms and to increase crop yield. This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of Indoxacarb on Allium cepa L. root meristematic cells. Control and treatment groups were formed from germinated roots. No chemicals were applied to the 1st group (control group). Group 2 (administration group) received increasing doses of Indoxacarb for 24, 48 and 72 hour time periods. Cell death, chromosome aberrations and mitotic index were examined by light microscopy in roots obtained from all groups after different application times. The changes in the antioxidant capacity of the roots were determined by FRAP and TEAC tests. DNA damage was also measured by the Comet Method and the RAPD-PCR technique. Chromosome aberrations such as chromosome bridge, C-mitosis, micronucleus, chromosome misalignment were obtained at increasing concentrations and longer exposure times. Increasing doses of indoxacarb caused a decrease in mitotic index values over a 72-hour period. FRAP and TEAC testing showed that increasing Indoxacarb concentrations decreased the antioxidant capacity of the roots. The percentage of tail DNA and tail length increased significantly at all exposure times compared to the control group. It has been determined by RAPD-PCR method that indoxacarb doses cause genotoxic effects on genetic material in 72-hour applications. Increasing indoxacarb doses resulted in increased toxicity in all studied parameters of A. cepa. In conclusion, in this study, the cytotoxic and mutagenic potential of Indoxacarb was tested and it was shown that the uncontrolled use of Indoxacarb insecticide in nature may have harmful effects on living things and the environment.