The cytogenetic effects of the food additive boric acid in Allium cepa L.

Abstract

In this study, the cytogenetic effects of boric acid (BA) were investigated in root tip cells of Allium cepa L. The roots of A. cepa were treated with the concentration of 1 g/l, 2 g/l and 4 g/l of BA for 10 and 20h treatment pariods. BA significantly decreased the mitotic index (MI) compared to the control at all concentrations and treatment periods. However, the decreasing of the MI was not dose-dependent. BA slightly increased the percentage of abnormal cells.