Assessment of cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of insecticide Demond EC25 in Allium cepa and Ames Test

The mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of Demond EC25, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, was assessed using two standard genotoxicity assays of the Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity assay (Ames test) and Allium cepa test. Cytogenetic effects of Demond EC25 were evaluated in the root meristem cells of Allium cepa. The test concentrations of compounds were selected by determining EC50 of the Allium root growth and onion seeds were exposed to Demond EC25 (50, 100, and 200 ppm) for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The concentrations Demond EC25 was compared with the value for the negative control using Dunnet-t test, 2 sided. The results indicated that mitotic index was clearly decreased with increasing the concentration of Demond EC25 in each treatment group as compared to the controls. Demond EC25 was tested for mutagenicity in bacterial reversion assay systems with two strains (TA98 and TA100) of Salmonella typhimurium absence and presence of S9 fraction. The doses of Demond EC25 were 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 mu g/plate and test materials were dissolved in DMSO. Our results show that Demond EC25 was found to be mutagenic in 800 and 400 mu g/plate doses of TA98 in the without S9 mix and 800 mu g/plate in the with S9 mix. In TA100, Demond EC25 was found to be mutagenic only 800 mu g/plate doses without S9 mix. The other doses of this insecticide was not found to be mutagenic in both test strains.