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Abstract
The effects of chloroquine (antimalarial drug) on the mitosis of Allium cepa L. was investigated with a view to ascertaining its mutagenic effects. Onion roots were treated with 20%, 50% and 100% concentrations of chloroquine at 6hours, 12hours and 18hours duration respectively and distilled water as control. There was a significant difference 0.05% among the mitotic indices (2.0, 2.06 and 0.7) for 20%, 50% and 100% concentrations of chloroquine respectively compared with the control (3.8). The result further showed that chloroquine induced cell mitotic abnormalities like anaphase bridge, fault polarization of anaphase, chromosome fragmentation, disorderly anaphase, C-metaphase and clumping of chromosomes at 20%, 50% and 100% concentrations and different time of exposure. The result implicated chloroquine as a mitotic depressor and confirmed chloroquine as mutagenic to plant cell, when absorbed in high dosage.
Keywords: Mutagenesis; Mitotic index; Anaphase bridge; Chromosomes; Mitotic depressor,