SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Bozok Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1

The Genotoxic Effect of Penconazole Fungicide on Allium cepa Root Tip Cells

Penconazole Fungusidinin Allium cepa Kök Ucu Hücreleri Üzerindeki Genotoksik Etkisi

Ömer Nart Erkan(DÜZCE ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0002-4757-5402
Numan Sonmezoglu(DÜZCE ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0008-0433-1428
Pages
44–50
Publication Date
2026-08-26
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The results demonstrated a concentration-dependent reduction in root growth, and the EC50 value was determined to be approximately 2.5 µL.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Abstract: Pesticides are widely used in agricultural production to prevent yield losses caused by harmful organisms.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Root growth inhibition, EC50 value, and chromosomal abnormalities were assessed in a negative control group and various treatment concentrations.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The results demonstrated a concentration-dependent reduction in root growth, and the EC50 value was determined to be approximately 2.5 µL.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Penconazole · Allium cepa · genotoksisite

Abstract

Abstract: Pesticides are widely used in agricultural production to prevent yield losses caused by harmful organisms. Penconazole, a triazole fungicide, exerts its antifungal activity by inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis in fungi. However, increasing evidence suggests that it may also induce toxic and genotoxic effects in non-target organisms. In this study, the genotoxic potential of penconazole was evaluated using Allium cepa L. root tip meristem cells as a bioindicator model. Root growth inhibition, EC50 value, and chromosomal abnormalities were assessed in a negative control group and various treatment concentrations. The results demonstrated a concentration-dependent reduction in root growth, and the EC50 value was determined to be approximately 2.5 µL. Cytogenetic analyses revealed statistically significant increases in chromosomal stickiness and total chromosomal abnormalities, particularly at 10 and 100 ppm concentrations (P ≤ 0.01). At higher concentrations, a decrease in abnormality frequency was observed, likely due to suppression of mitotic activity and increased cellular toxicity. These findings indicate that penconazole induces dose-dependent genotoxic effects in A. cepa root meristem cells and disrupts normal mitotic processes. The study highlights the potential ecological risks of penconazole exposure to non-target organisms and emphasizes the importance of careful fungicide application in agricultural practices.

Özet

Öz: Pestisitler, tarımsal üretimde zararlı organizmaların neden olduğu verim kayıplarını önlemek amacıyla yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır. Triazol grubu fungusitlerden biri olan penconazole, mantarlarda ergosterol biyosentezini inhibe ederek etkisini göstermektedir. Ancak bu bileşiğin hedef dışı organizmalar üzerindeki toksik ve genotoksik etkileri giderek daha fazla dikkat çekmektedir. Bu çalışmada, penconazole fungusitinin genotoksik potansiyeli Allium cepa L. kök ucu meristem hücreleri kullanılarak araştırılmıştır. Negatif kontrol ve farklı konsantrasyonlarda hazırlanan uygulama gruplarında kök büyümesi değerlendirilmiş, EC50 değeri belirlenmiş ve kromozomal anormallikler incelenmiştir. Sonuçlar, penconazole maruziyetinin kök büyümesini doza bağlı olarak azalttığını ve EC50 değerinin yaklaşık 2,5 µL olduğunu göstermiştir. Kromozomal analizlerde özellikle 10 ve 100 ppm konsantrasyonlarında kromozomal yapışıklık ve toplam anormallik oranlarında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı artışlar tespit edilmiştir (P ≤ 0,01). Yüksek konsantrasyonlarda ise mitotik aktivitenin baskılanmasına bağlı olarak anormallik oranlarında azalma gözlenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, penconazole fungusitinin A. cepa kök hücrelerinde doza bağlı genotoksik etki oluşturduğunu ve mitotik süreci olumsuz etkilediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu sonuçlar, penconazole kullanımının hedef dışı organizmalar ve çevresel sağlık açısından risk oluşturabileceğini göstermektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Erkan, Ö. N., Sonmezoglu, N. (2026). The Genotoxic Effect of Penconazole Fungicide on Allium cepa Root Tip Cells. Bozok Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1, 44–50. https://doi.org/10.59128/bojans.1977297

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (24)

  1. Aksakal, F.I. and Ciltas, A. (2018). Developmental toxicity of penconazole in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Chemosphere, 200, 8-15.
  2. Bernardes, P.M., Andrade-Vieira, L.F., Aragão, F.B., Ferreira, A. and Ferreira, M.F.S. (2015). Toxicity of difenoconazole and tebuconazole in Allium cepa. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 226, 207.
  3. Camilo-Cotrim, C.F., Bailão, E.F.L.C., Ondei, L.S., Carneiro, F.M. and Almeida, L.M. (2022). What can the Allium cepa test say about pesticide safety? A review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(32), 48088-48104.
  4. Chaâbane, M., Ghorbel, I., Elwej, A., Mnif, H., Boudawara, T., Chaâbouni, S.E., Zeghal, N. and Soudani, N. (2017). Penconazole alters redox status, cholinergic function, and membrane-bound ATPases in the cerebrum and cerebellum of adult rats. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 36(8), 854-866.
  5. Çıldır, D.S. and Liman, R. (2020). Cytogenetic and genotoxic assessment in Allium cepa exposed to imazalil fungicide. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 20335–20343.
  6. Fang, H., Tang, F.F., Zhou, W., Cao, Z.Y., Wang, D., Liu, K.L., Wu, X.W. and Yu, Y.L. (2012). Persistence of repeated triadimefon application and its impact on soil microbial functional diversity. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, 47, 104–110.
  7. Garud, A., Pawar, S., Patil, M.S., Kale, S.R. and Patil, S. (2024). A scientific review of pesticides: Classification, toxicity, health effects, sustainability, and environmental impact. Cureus, 16(8), e67945.
  8. Hidalgo, A., Gonzales-Reyes, J.A., Navas, P. and Garcia-Herdugo, G. (1989). Abnormal mitosis and growth inhibition in Allium cepa roots induced by propham and chlorpropham. Cytobiosis, 57, 7-14.
  9. Kalefetoğlu Macar, T., Macar, O. and Yalçın, E. (2021). Preventive efficiency of Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) fruit extract in diniconazole fungicide-treated Allium cepa L. roots. Scientific Reports, 11, 2534.
  10. Li, Y., Nie, J., Zhang, J., Xu, G., Zhang, H., Liu, M., Gao, X., Shah, B.S.A. and Yin, N. (2022). Chiral fungicide penconazole: Absolute configuration, bioactivity, toxicity, and stereoselective degradation in apples. Science of the Total Environment, 808, 152061.
  11. Macar, O. (2021). Multiple toxic effects of tetraconazole in Allium cepa L. meristematic cells. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 10092–10099.
  12. Meng, Z., Liu, L., Xi, Y., Jia, M., Yan, S., Tian, S., Sun, W., Zhu, W., Li, X. and Zhou, Z. (2020). Different effects of exposure to penconazole and its enantiomers on hepatic glycolipid metabolism of male mice. Environmental Pollution, 257, 113555.
  13. Mercan, F., Sivas, H. and Poyraz, İ. (2016). Investigation of genotoxic effects of penconazole systemic fungicide using RAPD and ISSR PCR techniques. International Conference on Engineering and Natural Sciences 2016, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  14. National Center for Biotechnology Information (2026). PubChem compound summary for CID 91693, penconazole. PubChem.
  15. Omokaro, G.O. (2026). Biological control strategies as sustainable alternatives to herbicides in weed management. European Journal of Agronomy, 175, 128003.
  16. Ozakca, D.U. and Silah, H. (2013). Genotoxicity effects of flusilazole on the somatic cells of Allium cepa. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 107, 38–43.
  17. Parker, J.E., Warrilow, A.G., Price, C.L., Mullins, J.G., Kelly, D.E. and Kelly, S.L. (2014). Resistance to antifungals that target CYP51. Journal of Chemical Biology, 7(4), 143-161.
  18. Rasgele, P.G. (2023). Assessment of geno- and cytotoxic effects of propineb using onion apical root meristem. Cytology and Genetics, 57, 95–103.
  19. Solano, G.S.M. and Andrioli, N.B. (2024). Genotoxic effects induced by iprodione and tebuconazole in meristematic cells of Allium cepa: Responses dependent on concentration and exposure time. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(11), 17289-17298.
  20. Syromyatnikov, M.Y., Gureev, A.P., Starkova, N.N., Savinkova, O.V., Starkov, A.A., Lopatin, A.V. and Popov, V.N. (2020). Method for detection of mtDNA damages for evaluating of pesticides toxicity for bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.). Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 169, 104675.
  21. Turan, F. and Ergenler, A. (2025). The impacts of genotoxic damage on Daphnia magna at risk to penconazole. Pollution, 11(2), 261-266.
  22. Wolterink, G. and Inayat-Hussain, S.H. (2015). Penconazole. JMPR, 501–558.
  23. Yahia, D. and Ali, M.F. (2019). Cytogenetic and genotoxic effects of penconazole and chlorpyrifos pesticides in bone marrow of rats. Journal of Advanced Veterinary Research, 9(2), 29-38.
  24. Yoloğlu, E. (2019). Assessment of Na+/K+-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, and total-ATPase activities in gills of freshwater mussels exposed to penconazole. Commagene Journal of Biology, 3(2), 88-92.