The Effects of Green Tea Leaf Extract on Cytogenetical and Physiological Parameters of Allium cepa L. exposed to Salinity

Abstract

The aim of this study investigated the effects of 50 mg L-1 green tea leaf extract in decreasing harmful effects of 0.175 M salinity stress on the mitotic activity, chromosomal aberrations, seedling growth (fresh weight, radicle length and radicle number), micronucleus frequency which is the simplest indicator, the most effective of cytological damage and bulb germination of A. cepa L. In only green tea leaf extract medium, the radicle length and radicle number of bulbs were partially reduced compared to the control bulbs germinated in the distilled water medium. While their germination percentage and fresh weight statistically indicated the same values. Besides, the mitotic index and chromosomal abnormalities in the root tip meristematic cells of Allium cepa bulbs germinated in alone green tea leaf extract medium increased compared to germinated control bulbs in the distilled water medium, whereas the micronucleus frequency showed statistically the same value compared to the control. In other words, it can be said that salt stress significantly inhibited the seedling growth and bulb germination of Allium cepa. What's more, it significantly reduced the mitotic index in the root tip meristems of the bulbs and increased the number of chromosomal abnormalities and micronuclues frequency. On the other hand, inhibitory effects of salt on the mitotic activity, seedling growth, bulb germination, chromosomal abnormalities and micronuclues frequency significantly decreased with the application of green tea leaf extract. The germination percentage, radicle lenght, radicle number, fresh weight, mitotic index, micronuclues frequency and chromosomal aberrations of the seedlings grown in 0