Abstract
The effect of long term administration of carrot roots (2 months) on some cytogenetic parameters in bone marrow cells of white mice was studied , these included , mitotic index (MI) , micronuclei formation (Mn ) , and chromosomal aberrations (Ch . ab .) of different types . In addition the effect was studied in germ cells (Sperms) by scoring the number and types of sperm – head abnormalities in comparison of the effect induced by cyclophosphamide (Cp) . Results showed that Cp reduced the MI to about 44 % of the normal value (6.84), administration of carrot before the drug (Ca/Cp) raised the index to 74 % of the normal value , while administration of carrot with the drug (Ca+Cp) restored 92.4 % , and administration of Cp followed by carrot (Cp/Ca) restored 88.9 % of the normal value . Cp induced Mn to about 17 times of the baseline value 1.06 .The different treatments with carrot reduced the Mn to 3.8 – 6.7 times the natural values , and the (Ca/Cp ) treatment was the best . Cp treatment for long time raised the Ch .ab. to about 10 times the natural value 1.62 , these values reduced upon administration of carrot to about 24.5 – 29.8 % of the positive control 17 , and such effect extended to the types of Ch. ab. except that of dicentric chromosomes which persisted with high values , but it was lower than the positive control with statistical difference (P
