Assessment of the Mutagenic and Cytotoxic Ability of Azanza Garckeana (F.Hoffm), Using Allium Cepa (L) Assay

Abstract

The study on the assessment of the mutagenic and cytotoxic ability of Azanza garckeana leaf and fruit extracts on the root tip of Allium cepa was evaluated; aqueous leaf and fruit extract of A. garckeana were collected and dried, and pounded into powder. For the root growth inhibition and cytological analysis, four concentrations of each extract, viz: 5g,10g, 15g, and 20g, including positive and negative control, were considered, and the result was determined for each extract using a graph to indicate the maximum and minimum EC50 (Effective concentration). The EC ranged from 10 g/ml with a root length of 3 cm for A. garckeana leaf extracts, 10g/ml with a root length of 2.5 cm for A. garckeana fruits extracts, A range of chromosomal aberrations such as polyploidy, dissolution, vagrant metaphase, binucleate, laggard, nuclear lesion, fragmentation, chromosome gap, anaphase bridge, micronuclei, unequal separation, were observed in all the plant’s extracts. Statistically, the chromosomal aberrations observed in the root tip cells of A. cepa treated with the leaf extracts of A. garckeana shows that 10g is statistically significantly different from 5g (P = 0.026) and negative control, 15g is significantly different from 5g (P = 0.000) and 10g (P = 0.026). However, as the concentration increased to 20g, there was a significant difference in the percentage of aberrations from 5g (P =0.0000) to 10g (P = 0.005), but not significantly different from 15g (P =0.0553). Whereas fruit extract shows that 10g is higher than 5g but has no statistical significance (P =0.101). 15g is significantly different from 5g (P =0.101) but not significantly different from 10g (P =0.055), 20g (P =0.331), and positive control (P =0.845). As the concentrations of the plant extracts increased to 10%, 15%, and 20%, there was a progressive increase in the percentage of aberrant cells and a decrease in the number of dividing cells, suggesting that low concentrations of A. garckeana extracts should be used in traditional medicine production.