Cytological assays for the evaluation of genotoxicity in plants: A review

Abstract

Plants model are recognized as excellent genetic models to detect environ-mental mutagens and are frequently used in xenomoitoring studies. Several assays such as chromosomal aberration assay, micronucleus assay and comet assay are used for detecting the mutagenicity, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of environmental pollutants. It is easily handled and has advantages over other short-term tests that require pervious preparation of tested samples as well as the addition of exogenous metabolic system. Plants model also enables to evaluate different end points such as chromosomal aberration assay (CAA), micronucleus assay (MNA) and comet assay (CA) that have been used to detect genotoxicity of environmental pollutants. In addition, plants model provides important information to evaluate action mechanisms of an agent about its effects on the genetic material (clastogenic and/or aneugenic effects). It has been widely used to assess the impacts caused by xenobiotic, characterizing an important tool for environmental monitoring studies. The present review describes the two important assays using plant models that are appropriate and efficient cytogenetic materials for the detection of geno-toxicity of environmental pollutants.