The Effect of Nuvacron on the Mitotic Behaviour of Vicia faba L.

抄録

Due to the mutagenic effects of several pesticides, drugs, and chemicals used daily by man, several studies started to investigate the mustagenic effects of the new released ones. Nuvacron, the Ciba product is a systemic insecticide used against cotton leafworm, potato tuber moth and other insects. It is an organo-phosphorus compound having 4 methyl groups and highly toxic. Vicia faba dry seeds were treated with 6 fresh diluted solutions while growing seedlings were treated with only 2 concentrations of Nuvacron in addition to the control one. The roottips were fixed and cytological studies were carried out. The results showed gradual reduction in the mitotic index by increasing the concentration and significant gradual increase in the inhibition and the induced aberration percentages by the increase in the concentration. The treated seedling root-tips were less affected due to the repair mechanism. The Nuvacron induced about 63% chromosome bridges, 13% fragments, 9% lagging chromosomes and 1% rings of the total induced aberrations. The presence of induced tetraploids and disturbed chromosomes may be due to the effect on the spindle fibers in addition to the effect on DNA.