Mutagenic and cytotoxic activity of Alloxydim sodium with Allium and Ames tests

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of Alloxydim sodium which is an cyclohexanedione herbicide using two standard assays. The cytotoxic effects of this pesticide were determined in the Allium cepa test. Onion seeds were germinated and exposed to pesticides for 24, 48 and 72 hours. The cytotoxicity induced by each pesticide concentration was compared with the value for the negative control using the Dunnet-t test, 2 sided. The results showed that mitotic index (MI) significantly reduced by increasing the Alloxydim sodium concentration at each exposure time. These results indicate that this pesticide has cytotoxic activity in A. cepa root meristematic cells. Five different concentrations of the pesticide were tested with an Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 both with and without S9 metabolic activation for mutagenic activity. No concentrations of the Alloxydim sodium showed mutagenic activity on both strains with and without S9 fraction.