Irradiated Seeds Research Articles

Glycine max oil physical-chemical quality obtained of irradiated seeds

Ionizing radiation applied to agriculture has mainly benefited food production, as it reduces natural losses caused by physiological processes, as well as eliminating or reducing microorganisms, parasites and pests. In addition, this technique also allows the production of mutants with characteristics of greater productivity, precocity, smaller size, greater resistance to diseases and pests. These mutants are used to obtain new varieties of species of agronomic interest. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physic-chemical quality of the oil extracted from seeds of G. max (soybean) obtained from irradiated seeds with different doses of gamma radiation (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 Gy of a Cobalt-60 source, type Gammacell-220 installed in CENA-USP). The physic-chemical analyzes included: AOCS Cd-3d-63, AOCS Cd-3-25 and AOCS Cd-1-25, Acids Index (I.A), Saponification Index (IS), Iodide Index (II), respectively. All analytical determinations were performed at least in triplicates. The values found for I.A., for I.S. and for I.I., did not differ from the oil sample obtained from soybean seeds from control subjects (without irradiation) regardless of the concentration and dose of radiation applied to the seeds. The oil analyzed did not show physical-chemical variation in comparison with the oil obtained from non-irradiated seeds, thus suggesting the absence of modifications in these parameters after the genetic improvement induced by the radiation.

Mutagenic potential of Gamma rays on Somatic cell division and morphological parameters in Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

Mutagenesis involving ionizing radiation has been widely used for alteration in genetic constituents to increase the variability at gene level in a very small fraction of time. But, attempts to induce genetic variability in fennel for agronomically important trait are very limited. Narrow genetic base is the main hindrance in handling the conventional breeding in Fennel . Thus, main idea of this study is to generate genetic variability in Ajmer fennel-2 variety of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. by using the most potent physical mutagen i.e. gamma rays. The seeds were exposed to different doses of gamma rays viz. 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25Kr, respectively, along with control to analyze the effect of gamma rays on meristematic root tips. Germination and survival percentage were significantly affected in response to ionizing potential of gamma rays and a dose dependent decline was observed in both the parameters. Plant height, shoots, root length and days of flowering were also affected by gamma rays and a considerable increment was achieved at lowest dose with respect to control. As the dose of gamma ray increases, the rate of Active Mitotic Index declines. The irradiated seeds show numerous chromosomal variations such as; scattering, stickiness, bridge formation etc which are computed in the form of Total Abnormality Percentage.

Influence of UV Radiation on Physical and Biological Properties of Rapeseed in Pre Sowing Treatment

A The effect of ultraviolet radiation on pre-sowing treatment of seeds of the winter cultivar Lembke and cultivars treated with fungicides DK EXODUS, DK Exquisite and DK Exprit was studied. Experimental studies show a positive effect of UV irradiation in pre-sowing treatment of winter rapeseeds on seed vigour and germination, both when irradiated in region C (200-280 nm) and in region B (280-320 nm). It was found that UV radiation has a positive effect on the sowing qualities of winter rapeseeds varieties Lembke and DK EXODUS (treated with fungicides) when irradiated with a dose of 120 J/m2 : seed vigour increased by 11% in the variety DK EXODUS and 16.9% in the variety Lembke, germination on average by 13% compared to control samples. At doses of 250 and 500 J/m2 , a decrease in the sowing quality of seeds is observed. The main parameters of kinetic values of hydration were determined: moisture content and hydration rate. It was found that the rate of hydration increased sharply in the initial phase and gradually and slowly decreased in the middle and final phases of the hydration procedure, respectively, in order to achieve a saturated moisture content. Irradiated seeds at a dose of 120 J/m2 showed a higher rate of water absorption than the control, both in the early and later stages of the hydration procedure. It is established that UV-C irradiation changes the kinetics of water absorption by B. napus seeds at low doses of irradiation, causing faster penetration of water into the seeds and more efficient hydration of tissues, positively affecting sowing qualities and biometrics. It has been suggested that water uptake by UV-irradiated B. napus seeds causes excessive imbibition damage at higher doses of UV radiation, as the germination potential decreases and improves at low doses. No significant changes in biometric parameters were detected during UV irradiation of rapeseed varieties DK Exquisite and DK Exprit treated with fungicides and dyes.

Genotype-by-Sequencing Analysis of Mutations and Recombination in Pepper Progeny of Gamma-Irradiated Gametophytes.

The irradiation of dry seeds is the most widely-used irradiation method for improving seed-propagated crops; however, the irradiation of other tissues also has useful effects. The irradiation of plant reproductive organs, rather than seeds, for mutation breeding has advantages, such as producing non-chimeric progeny. However, the mutation frequency and spectrum produced using this method have not been analyzed on a genome-wide level. We performed a genotype-by-sequencing analysis to determine the frequencies of single-base substitutions and small (1–2 bp) insertions and deletions in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants derived from crosses using gamma-irradiated female or male gametophytes. The progeny of irradiated gametophytes showed similar or higher DNA mutation frequencies, which were dependent on the irradiation dose and irradiated tissue, and less biased single base substitutions than progeny of irradiated seeds. These characteristics were expected to be beneficial for development of mutation population with a high frequency of small DNA mutations and performing reverse-genetics-based mutation screening. We also examined the possible use of this irradiation method in manipulating the meiotic recombination frequency; however, no statistically significant increase was detected. Our results provide useful information for further research and breeding using irradiated gametophytes.

Induction of a Cowpea Variety ‘Videza’ for Extra Earliness and Higher Yielding than Parental Control

Parental control cowpea variety “Videza” is early maturing (70 DAP) and acceptable by consumers but low yielding (48.65 g/ plant). Farmers prefer extra early maturing and higher yielding than “Videza”. Therefore there was a need to induce it to become extra-early maturing and higher yielding than original “Videza”. A single seed descend homogeneous“Videza” population was first developed for radio-sensitiivity test and LD50 of 240.5 Gy was determined. A mass irradiation of 5kg videza seeds at LD50 was administered acutely at a dose rate of 300 Gy/hr, from Co60 source at Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. The 0Gy dose served as a comparative control. The irradiated seeds (M1) were planted the following day to produce induced plants bearing M2 seeds. The M2 seeds were planted to produce induced plants bearing M3 seeds. The selected M3 seeds were again planted, in randomized complet block design, to produce induced plants bearing M4 seeds. They were characterized for extra early maturity and higher yielding paramers which were statistically analysed. In ascending order of earliness, it took 48DAP for genotypes P1N02#1 to reach 50% maturity followed by 52DAP for P4N03#3; P3N01#5; P5N05#6, P4N14#7, P5N07#8, P5N05#10 and 54 DAP for P4N14#11 to reach 50% maturity. In descending order of yield, it took 97.38 gram/plant, for genotype P1N06#9 to yield higher than control at 50% maturity, followed by 95.97 gram/plant for genotype P5N05#10, 81.24 for P1N08#13, 73.94 for P2N09#12, 70.83 for P6N10#19, 65.36 for P1N06#20, 61.42 for P5N07#14, 58.05 for P4N14#7 and 56.23 gram/plant for P1N08#17. Genotype P5N05#10 is advanced for multi-locatonal trials and release because it had both extra early maturing and higher yielding potential than the control. It also had an average of 38 pods per plant and 25.80 cm pod length while the parental control had 30 pods per plant and 15.5 cm pod length.

Susceptibility of fungi, mainly chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae sard.), to gamma irradiation in the faba bean crop (Vicia faba l.)

Fungi causeconsiderable losses in the faba bean crop in many regions of the world. The aim of the current research was to evaluate the susceptibility of faba bean to fungi, mainly chocolate spot, and its effect on yield, using seeds exposed to gamma irradiation. Faba bean seeds were cultivated in three regions: Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala, Mexico; the seeds were irradiated with a dose rate of 4.90 Gy·min-1using a Gammacell 220 irradiator. The irradiation doseswere 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 160, 250 and 350 Gy of gamma rays with 60Co radioisotopes. The irradiated seeds showed acceptablegermination (75.70 %)without visible damages,and survival was 53.62 % until 118 days after sowing. When unirradiated seed was used, the susceptibility of the crop could reach 60 % and the disease severity up to 34 %, with a disease progress rate of 0.006 units·day-1. The 40 Gy dose offered the best response to control the disease; up to 58.80 g of dry weight was obtained for every 100 seeds and a production of 4,442 kg·ha-1. In faba bean crop, up to 77 % of the variation in yield was due toseverity of fungi, mainlythe chocolate spot.

In vitro screening of gamma irradiated rice variety MR263 for drought tolerance using polyethylene glycol

Fluctuating weather conditions and climate change are affecting agricultural production worldwide including rice yield. Combined with the increasing population and decreasing land space for agricultural practices, biotechnological solutions are needed to improve the livelihood of farmers and the country’s food security. Rice seeds of cv. MR263 were irradiated with gamma rays at doses 300, 350, and 400 Gy to evaluate their response to ionizing radiation on their growth. The irradiated seeds were germinated on MS media, and the seedlings were grown in media with polyethylene glycol 6000. It was found that most of the germination percentage decreased gradually with increasing radiation dosage. Shoot lengths reduced with radiation dose, per treatment. The root length was highest at dose 350 Gy (9.5 cm) compared to the other irradiated treatments. Fresh and dry weights generally decreased with increasing dosage and water stress levels except for dose 350 Gy. The highest fresh (354 mg) and dry weight (56.7 mg) were observed in seedlings irradiated with a dose of 350 Gy treated with 0% PEG and 10% PEG respectively. The content of proline and carbohydrates increased as the radiation doses and PEG concentrations increased where the highest proline (11.8 µM/g) was observed in 350 Gy + 20% PEG. While the highest carbohydrate content (9.3 mg/g) was observed in 400 Gy+ 20% PEG. It was concluded that seedlings radiated with 350 Gy showed promising results indicating tolerance to drought stress, due to their improved morphological and biochemical traits.

Gamma Rays Induced Oil and Fatty Acid Alteration in Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) Seeds

Aim: To evaluate the effects of radiation on oil and fatty acid content of cumin by irradiating seeds with varied doses of gamma rays viz.,100 Gy, 125 Gy, 150 Gy, 175 Gy.
 Study Design: Oil and fatty acid content was estimated by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy.
 Results: The result reveals that oil and fatty acid quantity were significantly changed upon radiation. Oil amount was increased in irradiated seeds whereas fatty acid content was decreased except petroselinic acid and linoleic acid which was increased in comparison to control. In contrast to non irradiated seeds, the lowest dose of gamma found beneficial as oil content and majority of fatty acids were increased.
 Conclusion: Therefore, irradiation of cumin seeds for protection and preservation purpose could significantly affect the fatty acid content of cumin as seeds are prone to fungal infections.

Experimental Determination of the Dose of Energy Received by Seed Material After Irradiation by Electric Field

Introduction. Maximum use of potential biological potential of seed material is among the ways to increase the production and to improve the quality of agricultural products. In view of the above, various methods of preseeding treatment of seeds of agricultural crops by means of electromagnetic fields are used. At the same time there is insufficient clarity of reproducibility of the results of radiation. Problem Statement. However, the conventional methods for determining germination capacity require a wide range of equipment and materials and are time-consuming. Therefore, the search for new methods of pre-seeding treatment and the development of rapid calorimetric methods are promising directions of research. Purpose. To study the effect of irradiation on seed material, by calorimetric methods. Materials and Methods. To determine the caloric value of seed material, two batches of Scarlet barley seeds are taken, one of which is irradiated with an electric field. The caloric value of the grain has been determined using the calorimetric device B-08M, according to DSTU ISO 1928:2006. Results. The results of quantitative indicators of temperature change of the irradiated and reference batch of barley grain have been presented in a graphical form to visualize the effect of irradiation. The analysis of results has shown that the non-irradiated seeds have a germination capacity of 82%, while for the irradiated seeds this index is equal to 88%. Respectively, their caloric value is 10 842 kJ/kg and 11 985 kJ/kg, i.e. differs by 10.5%. An experimental dependence has been established that to increase germination by 1% it is necessary to increase the caloric value of seed mass by approximately 1.83%. Conclusions. A 10-11% increase in the caloric value of the seeds after irradiation indicates that the irradiation process is realized. The use of calorimetry methods can be recommended as a seed material irradiation quality control method.

Genetic behavior of induced translocation heterozygote in Artemisia annua L.

From the population raised from gamma irradiated seeds at different doses (100, 200 and 300 Gy), at 100 Gyphenotypically dissimilar plant (from the control plants) was isolated. The plant was shorter and morphologically weaker in contrast to control population. The cytological studies were carried out in a plant showed segmental exchanges between heterologous chromosomes. Chromosomal associations in rings and chains along with bivalents and univalents were observed in pollen mother cells (PMCs) during microsporogenesis. Various anaphasic anomalies were also taken into account including chromatid bridges, laggards and unequal separations etc. Subsequent stages of meiosis were also found to be highly intermittent. Owing to the high frequency of chromosomal aberrations, pollen fertility in control (96.32%) were efficaciously reduced to 38.26% at dose of 100Gy. The present study has been conducted to assess cytological behavior of the induced translocation heterozygote which is first time induced through gamma irradiation in the Artemisia annua L.

Impact of Proton Beam Irradiation on the Growth and Biochemical Indexes of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Grown under Salt Stress.

The present paper examines the effects of salt stress on the growth, pigments, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant ability of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings raised from proton beam irradiated caryopses. In order to assess the effects of radiation on the early stages of plant growth and analyze its possible influence on the alleviation of salinity, 3 and 5 Gy doses were used on dried barley seeds and germination occurred in the presence/absence of NaCl (100 mM and 200 mM). After treatment, photosynthetic pigments increased in the 5 Gy variant, which registered a higher value than the control. Among the antioxidant enzymes studied (SOD, CAT, and POD) only CAT activity increased in proton beam irradiated seeds germinated under salinity conditions, which indicates the activation of antioxidant defense. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content declined with the increase of irradiation doses on seeds germinated at 200 mM NaCl. On the other hand, the concentration of 200 mM NaCl applied alone or combined with radiation revealed an increase in soluble protein content. The growth rate suggests that 3 Gy proton beam irradiation of barley seeds can alleviate the harmful effects of 100 mM NaCl salinity, given that seedlings’ growth rate increased by 1.95% compared to the control.

INFLUENCE OF LOW DOSE GAMMA-IRRADIATION ON THE ELECTROKINETIC POTENTIAL OF WHEAT SEEDLINGS CELLULAR NUCLEI

During ontogenesis, plants are exposed to various stress factors of biotic and abiotic nature. The nucleus and mitochondria are the most sensitive to ionizing radiation cell elements of all living organisms. The effect of ionizing radiation on the electrokinetic potential of isolated nuclei of wheat seedlings was studied, which allows us to judge the changes in the magnitude of the surface charge and its role in the functioning of the cellular nuclei. Changes were obtained in the values of the electrokinetic potential in isolated seedlings of irradiated seeds in a electric field. As a result of chain reactions, ionizing radiation changes the content of nuclear fractions, which in turn leads to a decrease in the surface charge and a decrease in the electromobility of nuclei.

Effect of gamma radiation on germination and seedling growth in field bean [Lablab purpureus var. lignosus (L.) Prain] cv.TFB-2

Induced mutations play a significant role in the crop improvement of vegetable crops. An experiment was conducted at College of Horticulture, Anantharajupeta with an objective to establish the radiation quality and dose range for improvement of field bean. The seeds of TFB-2, a popular variety of field bean were treated with different doses of gamma rays viz., 10kR, 20kR, 30kR, 40kR, 50kR and 60kR using cobalt (60Co) as a source of radiation. The irradiated seeds along with untreated control were sown in both petri plates and polybags. Germination percentage in petri plates were assessed after seven days. The germination percentage ranged from 35.55% to 80% in petri plates and 33.33% to 80.95% in polybags for different doses of gamma rays. In case of untreated control the germination percentage in petri plates and polybags was 93.33% and 93.65% respectively. The growth of the seedlings in polybags was assessed after 30 days. A decrease in the germination and retarded seedling growth (roots and shoot length) in irradiated plants as compared to control was observed. A gradual decline in germination percentage and seedling growth was recorded with increase in irradiation dose. Lowest seedling growth (26.56 cm) was recorded in T6 (60kR) while the highest seedling growth (46.56 cm) was recorded in T1 (10kR).

Mutagenic Effect of Gamma Radiation on Macro Mutation Spectrums, Effectiveness and Efficiency under M3 Generation in Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Mutation breeding is one of the most reliable techniques in improving crop plants. The study was frequency and spectrum of macro-mutations along with the mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of different doses of gamma rays in pea variety (Arkel). The irradiated seeds were sown in the M1, M2 generations in their respective control and harvested in bulk to raise the M3 generation (2013-14) in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Screening of the M3 generation revealed that the mutagenic treatments induced morphological and physiological changes in the variety. A spectrum of mutations which included variants with respect to plant stature, maturity, pod shape, seed colour and seed shape were observed mutagenic effectiveness is measure of the frequency of mutations induced by unit mutagen doses whereas mutagenic efficiency is measure of proportion of mutation in relation to undesirable changes like lethality and sterility etc. The frequency of mutagenic efficiency and effectiveness was found to be highest at lower doses. In mutation breeding where large populations are handled, estimation of mutagenic effect for macro mutation, effectiveness and efficiency may help the breeders in identifying effective treated populations in early generation for reduction in cost of breeding and enhancing scope of selection.

High-Throughput Phenotyping (HTP) Data Reveal Dosage Effect at Growth Stages in Arabidopsis thaliana Irradiated by Gamma Rays.

The effects of radiation dosages on plant species are quantitatively presented as the lethal dose or the dose required for growth reduction in mutation breeding. However, lethal dose and growth reduction fail to provide dynamic growth behavior information such as growth rate after irradiation. Irradiated seeds of Arabidopsis were grown in an environmentally controlled high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) platform to capture growth images that were analyzed with machine learning algorithms. Analysis of digital phenotyping data revealed unique growth patterns following treatments below LD50 value at 641 Gy. Plants treated with 100-Gy gamma irradiation showed almost identical growth pattern compared with wild type; the hormesis effect was observed >21 days after sowing. In 200 Gy-treated plants, a uniform growth pattern but smaller rosette areas than the wild type were seen (p < 0.05). The shift between vegetative and reproductive stages was not retarded by irradiation at 200 and 300 Gy although growth inhibition was detected under the same irradiation dose. Results were validated using 200 and 300 Gy doses with HTP in a separate study. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply a HTP platform to measure and analyze the dosage effect of radiation in plants. The method enabled an in-depth analysis of growth patterns, which could not be detected previously due to a lack of time-series data. This information will improve our knowledge about the effects of radiation in model plant species and crops.

Growth dynamics of morphological and reproductive traits of Physalis peruviana L. M1 plants obtained from seeds irradiated with gamma rays

There is an increasing interest in the development of uchuva (Physalis peruviana L.) cultivars adapted to greenhouse farming. Sexual behavior makes it difficult to obtain uniform commercial uchuva cultivars by conventional breeding methods. Mutations induced by gamma rays is an alternative approach. M1 plants derived from 14 irradiation 60Co doses, from 0 to 275 Gy, that were applied to uchuva seeds were evaluated. Recorded data included days to first flower and growth dynamics (four to seven samplings) of morphological traits (plant height, stem diameter, basal stems) and reproductive traits (floral buds, flowers and green fruits). Treatments were distributed in a completely randomized blocks experimental design with six replications, in a greenhouse. The experimental unit was a single M1 plant. Statistical differences were found for irradiation doses, growth samplings, and its interaction. Growth dynamics results indicate that all traits showed a linear increase with plant age (R2 = 0.92* to 0.98**), but the effect of the irradiation doses on morphological and reproductive traits was no linear. Irradiation reduced plant height by 79%. M1 plants developed from irradiated seeds at doses of 125, 175 and 200 Gy showed greater stem diameter, with more basal stems, floral buds, flowers and green fruits than the control. It is concluded that intermediate irradiation doses had a stimulating effect on vegetative growth and fruiting traits of M1 uchuva plants.

Diversity analysis in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merrill) mutant lines grown in saline soil using agronomic traits and RAPD markers

Soybean is one of the strategic food crops in Indonesia, but its production is far below the demand due to inadequate area for soybean cultivation. Shifting soybean cultivation to marginal land such as saline soil has been suggested as a realistic solution to increase soybean production. Development of soybean variety tolerant to salinity is the key step to support the cultivation of soybean in saline soil. The objective of this research was to evaluate the genetic diversity in mutant soybean lines generated using gamma rays based on agronomic traits and RAPD markers. A total of 200 irradiated seeds of cultivar Detam-3 were planted in saline soil with electrical conductivity of 1.2–4.3 dS/m. Agronomic traits were evaluated on plants until harvesting time. Genetic analysis using two RAPD markers (OPAA-02 and OPAA-14) was done on 11 plants of each radiation treatment. The results showed that 54 plants survived in saline soil. High level of variation based on agronomic traits was observed in these plants. RAPD analysis revealed 60% and 83.3% polymorphism among 11 plants for OPAA-02 and OPAA-14 markers, respectively.

Use of gamma radiation to induce mutations in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and the selection of lines with tolerance to salinity and drought

One of the strategies for genetic improvement of Oryza sativa L. (rice) is the use of radiation-induced mutagenesis to search for materials suitable for production in marginal conditions, such as drought and salinity. In this present study, indica rice ‘CR-5272’ embryogenic calluses and seeds were exposed to gamma radiation. Survival and growth of plants derived from embryogenic calluses and seeds were evaluated in vitro in the presence of selection factors for salinity and drought (NaCl and sorbitol). Plants regenerated from irradiated calluses and seeds were screened for tolerance to these conditions and promising lines were identified. Culture of plants regenerated from irradiated calluses (M1) allowed the selection of 60, 58 and 15 promising lines with tolerance to salinity, drought, and both factors, respectively. Six promising salt-tolerant lines and four drought-tolerant lines were selected from plants grown from irradiated seeds (M2). A hormetic response to irradiation was observed in seeds; seeds irradiated at 50 Gy showed increased callus induction and callus weight. This study allowed advancements in the improvement of rice ‘CR-5272’ through the production of promising lines that are being evaluated in field studies.

Explore the designated frequency band (EMF) effect of radiation on biological characteristics of Ocimum basilicum

Explore and obtain the effects of irradiated Ocimum basilicum seeds on the biological mechanisms of germination and seedling growth in the specified frequency bands. In the experiment, two influencing factors of the specified frequency band and irradiation time were set, and different gradients of irradiated seeds were set. Non-magnetized treatment was used as a blank control group (CK) to determine the changes in the main chemical components in seeds and seedlings, and explore the radiation breeding biology mechanism. The results showed that 90 kHz-100 kHz had a significant inhibitory effect on seed germination, and the 50 kHz-70 kHz band had a significant effect on the germination of Ocimum basilicum, with 50 ± 2.0 kHz being the best. In the time gradient exploration, the main chemical content of seeds was the highest when irradiated for 20 min, and the growth effect of seedlings was the best. The specified frequency band (EMF) has the effect of promoting and inhibiting the germination and growth of basil. It stimulates the internal chemical composition to break the dormancy period of the seed, accelerates the anabolism, and increases the molecular assimilation of the building.

Effects of gamma irradiation on the alkaloid content in seeds of Datura stramonium and the radiosensitivity of derived seedlings

Tropane alkaloids are a group of secondary metabolites occurring naturally in Solanaceae family as Atropa belladona, Datura stramonium, Mandragora officinalis, and Hyoscyamus niger. These molecules have valuable therapeutic applications, for example, atropine and hyoscyamine are utilized as antimuscarinic besides being stomach and intestinal diseases drugs. Plants of the Solanaceae family can provide a natural yet less expensive source of these compounds. Hitherto, in order to emphasize these metabolites biosynthesis, D. stramonium seeds were irradiated using a cobalt-60 source of gamma rays of 5 to 80 Gy and germinated in vitro on MS medium in growth controlled chamber. Mutagenesis of D. stramonium seeds was attempted aiming at obtaining plants from in vitro source that are genetically variable for enhancing the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, namely alkaloids. Results indicated that D. stramonium seeds exhibited a good radiosensitivity and the mutagen damage index GR (30-50) for D. stramonium was determined at 80 Gy. The Characterization of alkaloids (Atropine and hyoscyamine) was done by infrared spectroscopy which showed that alkaloids content of the irradiated seeds is altered by irradiation as the reference bands were not found with all doses used. In addition, seedlings grown from irradiated in vitro seeds exhibited remarkable morphological variations that varied based on the employed dose of gamma rays. These findings permitted the selection of the optimal irradiation dose (80 Gy) to induce mutations that are likely to prompt changes at genetic and metabolic level of the targeted alkaloids.