Evaluating antimutagenic effects of vitamin‐C and L‐cysteine alone and in combination towards sodium azide‐induced toxicity in Trigonella foenum‐ graecum L.

Antimutagenicity of vitamin‐C (ascorbic acid) and L‐cysteine (amino acid) was determined against the mutagenicity of sodium azide (NaN3; pH 6.0) in Trigonella foenum‐graecum L. Toxicity to seed germination and seedling growth were taken as as the parameters. Sodium azide (mutagenic agent) induces inhibitory effects on the seed germination and causes formation of abnormal seedlings significantly with increasing concentrations. Sodium azide mutagenized seeds of T. foenum‐graecum post‐treated with four different aqueous concentrations of vitamin‐C (0.0005M, 0.0010M, 0.0015M and 0.0100M) and L‐cysteine (0.0005M, 0.0010M, 0.0015M and 0.0100M), exhibited antimutagenic activity by way of promotory effects on seed germination as well as on seedling growth as compared to contol. L‐cystein was found to be more potent as antimutagen (antitoxic) than vitamin‐C.

Antimutagenic activity of vitamin‐E (α‐ tocopherol) and gallic acid (polyphenol) on the callus raised from mutagenized seeds of Trigonella foenum‐graecum L.

Antimutagenicity of vitamin‐E (α‐ tocopherol) and gallic acid (polyphenol) has been determined in callus raised from diethyl sulphate (DES; pH 7.41) treated seeds of Trigonella foenum‐graecum L. using toxic effects on the callus growth as the criterion. In case of calli raised from seeds treated with the DES (mutagenic agent) alone, maximum reduction in the growth index (GI), i.e., 0.85 was observed in 0.75% DES concentration treated series. However, approximately 50% lethality in GI was observed in the 0.50% DES treated series as compared to control where GI was 3.87. Calli raised from DES mutagenized seeds of T. foenum‐graecum post‐treated with two concentrations of vitamin‐E (0.25% and 0.50%) and gallic acid (0.0010M and 0.0020M) exhibited antimutagenic activity by way of promotory effects on the callus growth.Vitamin‐E was found to be more potent as antimutagen (antitoxic) than gallic acid.