Evaluation of Clastogenic and Aneugenic Action of Two Bio-Insecticides Using Allium Bioassay

It is well known that modern agriculture would not be able to meet the current demand for food without the help of pesticides. However, conventional pesticides have been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment, to the species they are applied to, and, ultimately, to humans. As a result, bio-pesticides have been introduced in recent years and include natural substances that control pests, such as biochemical pesticides, microorganisms used as pest control agents (microbial pesticides), and pesticide substances produced by plants containing added genetic material, known as plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs). Although these are natural products, their widespread use has led to an increased presence in the environment, raising concerns regarding their potential impact on both the environment and human health. The aim of our study was to determine the phyto- and cytogenotoxicity caused by two insecticides, both certified for use in ecological agriculture: one biochemical (BCP) and the other microbial (MP), which were applied in three concentrations (the maximum recommended concentration by the manufacturers (MRFC), 1.5X MRFC, and 2X MRFC) to the meristematic root tissues of Allium cepa. The results were compared to a negative control (tap water) and a positive control (a chemical pesticide (CP) containing mainly Deltamethrin). Phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic effects were analyzed at two time intervals (24 and 48 h) by measuring root length, growth percentage, root growth inhibition percentage (phytotoxicity tests), and micronuclei frequency and chromosome aberrations (anaphase bridges, chromosomal fragments, anaphase delays, sticky chromosomes, laggard/vagrant chromosomes) (cytogenotoxicity analyses), respectively. The tests conducted in this study showed that the microbial insecticide provides greater safety when applied, even at higher doses than those recommended by the manufacturers, compared with the biochemical insecticide, whose effects are similar to those induced by the chemical pesticide containing Deltamethrin. However, the results suggest that both insecticides have clastogenic and aneugenic effects, highlighting the need for prior testing of any type of pesticide before large-scale use, especially since the results of the A. cepa tests showed high sensitivity and good correlation when compared to other test systems, e.g., mammals.