The cytogenetic and genotoxic effects of pinoxaden on allium cepa l. stem mery cells

Pinoxaden, the one of the acetyl‐CoA carboxylases (ACCase) inhibiting herbicides, is used for controlling grass weeds. In this study, cyto-genotoxic effects of Pinoxaden on the Allium cepa roots were investigated using Allium ana-telophase and Comet assays by determining by determining the root growth, mitotic index (MI), mitotic phases, chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and DNA damage. Pinoxaden was exposed to A. cepa roots at different concentrations from 0.5 to 100 mg/L for 96 h to obtain the 50% effective concentration (EC50). Distilled water was used for negative control. Pinoxaden concentrations of 1.25 mg/L (1/2xEC50), 2.5 mg/L (EC50) and 5 mg/L (2xEC50), methyl methane sulphonate (MMS, 10 mg/L) for positive control and distilled water for negative control were exposed to Allium bulbs for several time intervals (24, 48, 72 and 96 h). Pinoxaden not only statistically decreased root growth and MI but also induced CAs including disturbed anaphase-telophase, anaphase bridges chromosome laggards, stickiness, polyploidy, micronucleus at 5 mg/L, c-metaphase and binuclear cells and also DNA damage in comparison of control group. With these cyto-genotoxic effects, Pinoxaden should be elaborately used, and its cyto-genotoxic mechanisms should be further investigated in combination with other toxicity tests.