Genotoxic Agents Detected by Plant Bioassays

Abstract

Seven higher plant species (Allium cepa, Arabidopsis thaliana, Glycine max, Hordeum vulgaris. Tradescantia paludosa, Vicia faba, and Zea mays) were reviewed for their ability to detect genotoxicity of chemical agents under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Gene-Tox program in the late 1970s. Six bioassays-Allium and Vicia root tip chromosome breaks, Tradescantia chromosome break, Tradescantia micronucleus, Tradescantia-stamen-hair mutation, and Arabidopsis-mutation bioassays- were established from four plant systems that are currently in use for detecting the genotoxicity of environmental agents. Under the Gene-Tox program, the Crepis capillaris-chromosome-aberration test was added to the existing six bioassays. The current review is limited to chemical agents that exhibit a positive response to any of these seven plant bioassays. From 158 articles reviewed, 84 chemicals were compiled in three categories: carcinogens, clastogens, and mutagens. As none of these plant bioassays can detect tumor initiation or cancerous growth, the chemicals were categorized as carcinogens based on their characteristics defined by the U.S. EPA's Superfund Priority 1 List and/or by the chemical listings of the Sigma and Aldrich Chemical Companies. Certain mutagens were categorized in the same manner in addition to the agents detected as mutagens by these plant bioassays.