Protective Role of Lycopene on Refinery Wastewater-Induced Cytotoxicity in Maize Root Tip Cells

WOS: 000272581800001Kizilirmak is the longest river in Turkey. One of Turkey's largest petroleum refineries is located fairly nearby the river and, hence it is the main source of its metal pollution. The present study was carried out to evaluate the protective role of lycopene on refinery wastewater-induced cytotoxicity in maize root tip cells. We used the germination percentage, root length, weight gain and micronucleus (MN) frequency as indicators of cytotoxicity. Additionally to the cytological analysis, lipid peroxidation and DNA analyses were performed in the root tips of the maize seeds. Heavy metal concentrations in the water were measured using AAS. The seeds were divided into 7 groups, and treated with wastewater and 4 different doses of lycopene, for 7 consecutive days. As a result, the mean concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater were in the order of Pb>Zn>Fe>Cu>Ni> Cd>Hg. All lycopene-supplemented seeds showed lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content and MN frequency, but higher were the germination percentage, root length, and weight gain than with seeds treated only by wastewater (p0.05). It was also observed that the yields of DNA in the seeds treated with wastewater were lower than recorded in control and lycopene-supplemented group VII. Hence, DNA yields exposed to wastewater were run ahead on agarose gel according to the control and group VII. The results clearly indicate that refinery wastewater had important cytotoxic effects on maize root tip cells. But, lycopene supplementation caused a decrease in intensity of these effects, and its protective role was dose-dependent