Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis evalution of Morinda citrifolia (NONI) aqueous Leaf Extracts using Allium cepa assay

Waja Samuel and Thomas Musa

Department of Biological Science Technology Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State Nigeria

Correspondence Email: samuelwaja@rocketmail.com

ABSTRACT

The widespread use of medicinal herbs has raised serious concerns over its quality, safety, and efficacy. Therefore, precise scientific evaluation has become a precondition for acceptance of herbal health claims. In this study the cytogenetic and mutagenesis of morinda citrifolia (noni) aqueous leaves extract on the root tips of Allium cepa was evaluated using Allium cepa (L.) assay, Onion bulb was sun dried for 4 days, the dried outer scales were carefully removed and the root was scraped leaving the ring of the primordial root intact to promote the emergence of new roots. For the root growth inhibition, four concentrations of each extract, viz: 10 g, 15g, 20 g, and 25 g, was considered, with the positive control group treated with glyphosate and the negative control group treated with tap water respectively. The effective concentration (EC₅₀) values of the leaves was determined. The plant extracts induced a dose-dependent root growth inhibitory, mitotic index and mitodepressant effects at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The extracts used induced a relatively low % of chromosomal aberration in the A. cepa root tips cells. In vivo testing of the plants extracts on Allium cepa root-tips revealed that the extract do not induced cytogenetic and mutagenic effect at 10 % concentration, but as the concentration of the plants extracts increases to 15 %, 20 %, 25 %, the leave extracts showed the potency of induce genetic damage at chromosomal level and it spindle apparatus on Allium cepa root-tips. The Aberrations observed were Binucleate, Laggard, Nuclear lesion, Fragmentation, Polyploidy, Dissolution, Vagrant metaphase, Chromosome gap Anaphase Bridge, Micronuclei (MN), and unequal separation. It is therefore suggested that users of morinda citrifolia plants extracts as traditional medicine be advised to always use definite measurement and at lower concentration of 10g, because it has cytogenetic and mutagenesis effect at higher concentration.

Keywords: morinda citrifolia, cytogenetic, mutagenesis, chromosome, aberration, Allium cepa

CITE AS: Waja Samuel and Thomas Musa (2025). Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis evalution of Morinda citrifolia (NONI) aqueous Leaf Extracts using Allium cepa assay. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL   JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND   EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES, 6(2):11-20. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJSES/2025/62.112000