Investigation of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Ecballium elaterium juice based on Allium test.

The genus Ecballium only comprises the Ecballium elaterium (EE) (L.) A.Rich species which is a wild medicinal plant found in the Mediterranean region. EE fruit juice is widely used in Turkish folk medicine for the relief of sinusitis and for several illnesses. Up to date, there has been no report on the genotoxicity of EE fruit juice. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential genotoxic effects of EE fruit juice using the Allium test system. Allium cepa (A. cepa) bulbs were treated with four concentrations (10 ml/L, 20 ml/L, 50 ml/L and undiluted) of EE fruit juice for 72 h and tap water (pH 7.3) was used as a control. The results showed significant dose-dependent (P < 0.05) inhibition of root growth and mitodepressive effects on cell division in A. cepa root tip cells after the EE fruit juice treatments. Also, EE fruit juice significantly increased the dose-dependent frequency of chromosome aberrations (breaks, stickiness and pole deviations) in root tip cells and micronucleus formations. There was no dividing cell in the undiluted EE fruit juice treated group, but there were pyknotic/apoptotic cells with varying frequency.