Acute toxicity of Jatropha Curcas oil on plant cell cycle.

Today, a great interest in Jatropha-based products exists worldwide, mainly for the production of biofuel. However, the oil obtained from this plant is known to be toxic due to contained curcins and phorbol esters. Bioassays, including plant cytogenetic assays based on cell cycle observation, are useful for determining the toxicity of J. curcas oil. Hence, the aim of this study was to describe the mechanism of action of J. curcas oil by cell cycle analysis using Lactuca sativa as plant testing model. A decrease in root growth was observed, closely related to the reduction in mitotic index, along with an increase in condensed nuclei. J. curcas chemicals act both as aneugenic agents, leading to the formation of lagged, sticky chromosomes and c-metaphase cells, as well as clastogenic agents, inducing the formation of chromosome bridges and fragments. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of phorbol esters and other chemical components of J. curcas oil was determined and discussed

Effects of Jatropha curcas oil in Lactuca sativa root tip bioassays

Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) is important for biofuel production and as a feed ingredient for animal. However, the presence of phorbol esters in the oil and cake renders the seeds toxic. The toxicity of J. curcas oil is currently assessed by testing in animals, leading to their death. The identification of toxic and nontoxic improved varieties is important for the safe use of J. curcas seeds and byproducts to avoid their environmental toxicity. Hence, the aim of this study was to propose a short-term bioassay using a plant as a model to screen the toxicity of J. curcas oil without the need to sacrifice any animals. The toxicity of J. curcas oil was evident in germination, root elongation and chromosomal aberration tests in Lactuca sativa. It was demonstrated that J. curcas seeds contain natural compounds that exert phyto-, cyto- and genotoxic effects on lettuce, and that phorbol esters act as aneugenic agents, leading to the formation of sticky chromosomes and c-metaphase cells. In conclusion, the tests applied have shown reproducibility, which is important to verify the extent of detoxification and to determine toxic doses, thus reducing the numbers of animals that would be used for toxicity tests

Phytochemical screening and phytocytotoxic effects of the tropical Myrcia vittoriana (Myrtaceae)

Abstract We investigated whether essential oil and aqueous and ethanolic extracts from M. vittoriana leaves have phytotoxic effects on the germination and initial development, and cytogenotoxic effects on the cell cycle, of model plants. The essential oil and extracts of M. vittoriana were characterized and used as treatments in phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity tests. The results indicated a reduction in germinative parameters and plant growth, with the higher concentrations of extracts and essential oil having the most evident effects. The cell cycle was also affected with a reduction of the mitotic index and the presence of chromosomal and nuclear alterations. All treatments showed clastogenic and aneugenic modes of action. The results can be associated with the synergistic effects of metabolites found in the extracts and essential oil, mainly the presence of the sesquiterpene germacrene D in the essential oil and of catechins, saponins, and tannins in the extracts. These substances inhibit plant germination and growth, confirming the phytotoxic effects of M. vittoriana in plant models, which should now be tested under field conditions

Histogram score contributes for reliability of DNA content estimatives in Brachiaria spp Notas do histograma contribuem para a confiabilidade das estimativas do conteúdo de DNA de Brachiaria spp

Flow cytometry allows to estimate the DNA content of a large number of plants quickly. However, inadequate protocols can compromise the reliability of these estimates leading to variations in the values of DNA content the same species. The objective of this study was to propose an efficient protocol to estimate the DNA content of Brachiaria spp. genotypes with different ploidy levels using flow cytometry. We evaluated four genotypes (B. ruziziensis diploid and artificially tetraploidized; a tetraploid B. brizantha and a natural triploid hybrid), three buffer solutions (MgSO4, Galbraith and Tris-HCl) and three species as internal reference standards (Raphanus sativus, Solanum lycopersicum e Pisum sativum). The variables measured were: histogram score (1-5), coefficient of variation and estimation of DNA content. The best combination for the analysis of Brachiaria spp. DNA content was the use of MgSO4 buffer with R. sativus as a internal reference standard. Genome sizes expressed in picograms of DNA are presented for all genotypes and the importance of the histogram score on the results reliability of DNA content analyses were discussed.<br>A citometria de fluxo permite estimar o conteúdo de DNA de um grande número de plantas rapidamente. No entanto, protocolos inadequados podem comprometer a confiabilidade dessas estimativas, levando a variações nos valores de conteúdo de DNA para uma mesma espécie. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se propor um protocolo eficiente para a estimativa do conteúdo de DNA de genótipos de Brachiaria spp. com diferentes níveis de ploidia, utilizando a citometria de fluxo. Foram avaliados quatro genótipos (B. ruziziensis, diploide e tetraploidizada artificialmente; B. brizantha tetraploide e um híbrido natural triploide), 3 soluções tampões (MgSO4, Galbraith e Tris-HCl) e três espécies como padrões de referência interno (Raphanus sativus, Solanum lycopersicum e Pisum sativum). As variáveis mensuradas foram: nota do histograma (1 a 5), coeficiente de variação e estimativa do conteúdo de DNA. A melhor combinação para as análises do conteúdo de DNA de Brachiaria spp. por citometria de fluxo foi o emprego do tampão MgSO4 com o rabanete como padrão de referência. O tamanho dos genomas expresso em picogramas de DNA foi apresentado para todos os genótipos e a importância da pontuação do histograma na confiabilidade dos resultados das análises do conteúdo de DNA foi discutida