Genotoxic analysis of aqueous extract of Aerva javanica leaves on Allium cepa: cytogenetic and molecular assessment

Aerva javanica is a significant medicinal plant with a wide geographic distribution, prevalent in many countries. The plant is employed in traditional healing practices to address a range of illnesses. This study aimed to evaluate the potential genotoxicity of aqueous A. javanica leaf extract on Allium cepa roots using cytogenetic and molecular assays. The effective concentration (EC 50 ) of the water-based leaf extract was determined to be 26.7 mg/mL. Based on this value, three concentrations were selected to evaluate genotoxicity: below the EC 50 (13.35 mg/mL), the EC 50 itself (26.7 mg/mL), and above the EC 50 (40.05 mg/mL). To establish a baseline for comparison, distilled water was utilized as a control. The inhibition of root growth was assessed, and cytotoxicity was determined by the mitotic index (MI). In addition, genotoxicity was further analyzed through the assessment of chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MN), and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) markers as a molecular assay. Increasing the amount of A. javanica leaf extract resulted in a progressive shortening of root length. Additionally, at higher concentrations MI percentage decreased, indicating cytotoxicity, while CA and MN frequencies increased, suggesting genotoxicity. Furthermore, DNA damage was confirmed through ISSR-PCR marker analysis. These findings indicate that higher concentrations of A. javanica leaf extract induce genotoxic effects, highlighting the need for studies of its human use in therapeutic applications.