Title: The Cytogenetic Effects of the Food Additive Boric Acid in Allium cepa L.
Abstract: In this study, the cytogenetic effects of boric acid (BA) were investigated in root tip cells of Allium cepa L. The roots of A. cepa were treated with the concentration of 1 g/l, 2 g/l and 4 g/l of BA for 10 and 20 h treatment pariods. BA significantly decreased the mitotic index (MI) compared to the control at all concentrations and treatment periods. However, the decreasing of the MI was not dose-dependent. BA slightly increased the percentage of abnormal cells.