Mitotic effect of alcohol and petroleum ether extract of the stem of boerhaavia diffusa l. on root meristem of allium cepa l.

Boerhaavia diffusa L. is a perennial creeping weed contains 15 amino acids, including 6 essential aminoacids and a large number of such compounds as flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, lipids, lignins, carbohydrates, proteins, and glycoproteins. The concentrations are set as 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15% and 0.2 % using petroleum ether and ethyl alcohol extract of stem. The duration of the treatment is 30 minutes prior to mitotic peak. The mitotic index and index of various stages of mitosis are scored along with the number of abnormal cells. The common abnormalities are stickiness, fragment, unoriented chromosomes and bridges. Most dominant abnormalities are stickiness in anaphase followed by stickiness in prophase, unoriented chromosomes in metaphase, and stickiness in telophase and bridge in anaphase. Tropokiness in telophase/ anaphase and fragment in metaphase are rare abnormalities. The present study indicated that highest percentages of abnormal cells are produced in 0.1 % of petroleum ether stem extract (45.83 %). The results indicated that the active toxic element is petroleum ether soluble fraction as evidenced by higher frequency of abnormal cells.