Journal of Stress Physiology & Biochemistry (Dec 2023)
A Comprehensive Comparative Study on Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold, Seed Aqueous Extract-mediated Escalation of Abiotic Stress and Cellular Genotoxicity: Insights from Multivariate Allelochemical Analysis vis-a-vis Employment of Plant Bioassays (Lathyrus sativus L., and Allium sativum L., germinating root tip cells)
Abstract
Background: Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold, a popular member of family Apocynaceae, (Yellow Oleander), being one of the preferred weapons for suicides in villages of India is grown in garden and roadside ways as a tree a. Pharmacologically active constituents include terpenoids, fla-vonoid, steroids and glycosides in seeds. Purpose: To identify the different alkaloids present in the seeds of Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold, and to evaluate the extent of severity of the toxic components (alkaloids) eubequitiously omnipotent in the aqueous decoction in different eukaryotic genomes. The other purpose lies in identifying this plant seed’s potency as a ready source of active but varied levels of phytochemicals that could be exploited as future “novel bioactives” as therapeutic leads in drug discovery. Results: Some important alkaloids viz., Hordenine, Ismine, Trisphaeridine, Crinine, Galanthamine, Anhydrolycorine, Assoanine, Galanthine, Incartine, Lycorine and Galwesine, are being identified in the dried seed powder of Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold. In addition to the presence of Carbohydrates, proteins, tannins, phenolics, terpenoids and alkaloids in the dried seed powder. The aqueous extract was found to produce significant root length inhibition in pretreated germinating Lathyrus sativus L. seeds with serially diluted concentrations (5mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg/ ml respectively). There was significant occurrence of abnormal cells in the aforementioned doses of pre-treated seeds in Lathyrus sativus L., and Allium sativum L., root tip cells. There was significant induction of almost all types of clastogenic and aneugenic chromosomal aberrations. The said pre-treatments induced significant increase in nuclear budding, double nucleus, nuclear bridges, micronuclei followed by karyorrhexis and karyolysis. There was high frequency of occurrence of giant cells and apoptotic cells. At 40 mg/ml pre-treatment root tip cells there were higher degree of apoptotic responses showing nuclear fragmentations and dislodged nucleolus showing shifting on one corner of the cell in vacuolated cells. Conclusions: So it might be conclusively inferred that the seeds of Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold, is highly toxic for germinating plant root cells. Implications: Strict regulation and monitoring is highly needed to keep this ornamental plant from the reach of commercial cash crops including pulse crops for better safety and prevent genotoxicity.
