EVALUATION OF GENOTOXICITY AND CYTOTOXICITY OF DODINE (1-dodecylguanidium acetate) BY Allium TEST

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of dodine, a fungicide extensively used to control scab on apples, pears and pecans, brown rot on peaches and several foliar diseases of cherries, strawberries, peaches and black walnuts. For this purpose the Allium cepa test was carried out exposing roots to dodine for 24, 48 and 72 h at the concentrations of EC50/2, EC50 and 2xEC(50). The mitotic index was calculated as the number of dividing cells per number of 3000-4000 observed cells and the mitotic aberrations also were scored at each concentration. The results showed that dodine induced significant increases of mitotic aberrations such as C-mitosis, polar shifting, laggard chromosome and chromosome fragments. In addition, mitotic index decreased significantly with increasing of concentration and the exposure time as compared to their controls. Hence dodine should be used under control in agricultural fields due to its possible toxic effects.