ANTICLASTOGENIC EFFECT OF PHYCOCYANIN PIGMENT ON THE MUTAGENICITY INDUCED BY CURZATE FUNGICIDE IN VICIA FABA PLANTS

Aims: to evaluated the inhibitory effect of aqueous solution of phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis extract in the genotoxic damage induced by curzate fungicide using Vicia faba bioassay.
Study Design: Present study was achieved at two levels, cytological and molecular studies.
Methodology: Purified extract of phycocyanin (purity 1.8) from Spirulina platensis was tested for genotoxic and inhibitory effect against mutagenicity produced by curzate fungicide (The recommended dose is 2.5gm/L water) on Vicia faba. Selected concentration of 0.05% of aqueous solution of phycocyanin pigment was found to be antigenotoxic and anticlastogenic dose against different concentrations of curzate
Results: Cytological studies indicated that mixing curzate with 0.05% of aqueous solution of phycocyanin leads to increasing mitotic activity of Vicia faba plants and decreasing percentage of total abnormalities of mitotic and meiotic division compared with different concentrations of curzate alone.
Molecular studies on M1 progeny were carried out by using SDS-PAGE, indicating that mixing fungicide with 0.05% of aqueous solution of phycocyanin increase number of unaffected bands, decreasing number of appeared and disappeared bands, and changes in relative mobilities and band intensity. Changes of protein banding pattern may be correlated with the cytological abnormalities which lead to the loss of some of genetic materials and appearance of new characteristic band.
Conclusion: The components of spirulina extracts specially phycocyanin may exert their inhibitory activity in different ways.