Mitotic Abnormality Inducing Effects of Leaf Aqueous Extract of Clerodendrum inerme Gaertn. on Allium cepa Root Apical Meristem Cells

Abstract

Clerodendrum inerme is a traditionally used medicinal plant in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The present study aimed to analyze the mitotic abnormality-inducing potentials of the leaf aqueous extract of C. inerme (LAECI) on Allium cepa root tip cells. The 48-h aged A. cepa roots were treated with LAECI (2, 4, and 8 mg mL⁻¹) for 2 and 4 h and also allowed to recover up to 16 h and compared with the standard colchicine (0.4 mg mL⁻¹) actions. The cytological study revealed that both the LAECI and colchicine treatments induced mitotic abnormalities like sticky and vagrant chromosomes, anaphase bridge, multipolar anaphase-telophase, etc. The present study indicates that the LAECI contains bioactive substances having colchicine-like mitotic abnormality-inducing effects on A. cepa root tip cells.