Evaluating antimutagenic effects of vitamin‐C and L‐cysteine alone and in combination towards sodium azide‐induced toxicity in Trigonella foenum‐ graecum L.

Abstract

Antimutagenicity of vitaminâ€C (ascorbic acid) and Lâ€cysteine (amino acid) was determined against the mutagenicity of sodium azide (NaN3; pH 6.0) in Trigonella foenumâ€graecum L. Toxicity to seed germination and seedling growth were taken as as the parameters. Sodium azide (mutagenic agent) induces inhibitory effects on the seed germination and causes formation of abnormal seedlings significantly with increasing concentrations. Sodium azide mutagenized seeds of T. foenumâ€graecum postâ€treated with four different aqueous concentrations of vitaminâ€C (0.0005M, 0.0010M, 0.0015M and 0.0100M) and Lâ€cysteine (0.0005M, 0.0010M, 0.0015M and 0.0100M), exhibited antimutagenic activity by way of promotory effects on seed germination as well as on seedling growth as compared to contol. Lâ€cystein was found to be more potent as antimutagen (antitoxic) than vitaminâ€C.