Mutagenic effects of chromium trioxide on root tip cells of Vicia faba

In this study on the mutagenic effects of different concentrations of chromium trioxide (CrO(3)) on Vicia faba root tip, micronucleus assay and chromosome aberration assay were used to determine the mitotic indexes, micronucleus aberration rate and chromosome aberration rate of Vicia faba root tip cells. The results showed that the effects of CrO(3) concentration on the mitotic indexes were complicated. CrO(3) increases the micronucleus aberration rate of Vicia faba root tip cells. It was found that within certain range of CrO(3) concentration the micronucleus aberration rate increased systematically with increased concentration of CrO(3), but that the micronucleus aberration rate decreased at higher level of CrO(3) and that CrO(3) also caused various types of chromosome aberration at a rate which increased systematically with increased concentration of CrO(3). We concluded that CrO(3) has significant mutagenic effect on Vicia faba root tip cells.