Evaluation of Genotoxicity Induced by Medicinal Plant Jatropha gossypifolia in Freshwater Fish Channa punctatus (Bloch)

The genotoxic and mutagenic potential of medicinal plant Jatropha gossypifolia, was investigated in fresh water fish Channa punctatus in the present study using micronucleus assay and comet assay. Fishes were exposed at 20% and 40% of the 24 h-LC50 value of plant extract containing Apigenin (76.48 mg L-1) and crude latex (22.33 mg L-1). Both the test chemicals induced significant (P<0.05) genotoxic effects in exposed fishes at various exposure durations. The micronucleus induction was maximum at the highest concentration (40%) 96 h post exposure of Apigenin containing extract (0.107%) and Jatropha crude latex (0.302%) in the peripheral blood of C. punctatus. A similar trend was observed for the DNA damage measured in terms of % tail DNA in the erythrocytes of C. punctatus in Apigenin containing extract (15.20%) and Jatropha crude latex (21.17%). This study also explored the combined use of micronucleus assay and comet assay for in vivo laboratory studies using fresh water fishes for screening the genotoxic potential of medicinal plants.