Antimitotic and Antigenotoxic Activity of Calabash (Crescentia cujete) Fruit and Leaf Extracts on Mongo (Vigna radiata) seeds and Allium test

Abstract

Calabash tree (C. cujete) is a flowering plant indigenous in the Philippines and used as a traditional medicine. The study aimed to assess the effects of fruit and leaf extracts from Calabash (C. cujete) on the percent inhibition, chromosomal aberrations, mitotic index and percent germination of the onion (Allium cepa) cell division and mongo seed (V. radiata) germination exposed to sodium azide (NaN3). Allium assay was used to determine the mitotic index and chromosomal aberrations with 400 mg/L C. cujete fruit and leaf extracts concentrations. The Cresentia cujete fruit extract exhibits more antimitotic and antigenotoxic potential compared to the leaf extract based on the mitotic index and frequency of chromosomal aberrations in the onion root cells. Thus, the fruit extract contains more phytochemicals compared to the leaf extract.