Minimization of cytogenetic toxicity of malathion by vitamin C

Genotoxic effect of agriculture-used concentration of organophosphorous pesticide, Malathion, is decreased by the dietary concentration of sodium salt of L-ascorbic acid for parameters like mitotic-index and clastogeny in onion root-tip cells, clastogeny and meiotic-index in mice, and lethal mutation rate in Drosophila melanogaster. The vitamin itself is not genotoxic, and its concurrent administration is more effective than pretreatment with it. Possible mechanism of such vitamin C-mediated minimization of pesticide-genotoxicity is discussed.