EVALUATION OF IN VITRO GENOTOXIC EFFECTS OF BENFURACARB IN HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES

Abstract

In this study, the possible genotoxic potential of benfuracarb, one of the widely used carbamate insecticides in agriculture, was evaluated by performing the micronucleus assay in human peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. It was determined that CBPI (%) (cytokinesis-block proliferation index) was reduced at all concentrations of benfuracarb in both 24- and 48-h treatment periods. CBPI rate (%) was revealed to be statistically significant for both control and negative control groups at 500, 750, and 1000 mu g/ml concentrations of 24-h treatment period as well as 750 and 1000 mu g/ml concentrations of 48-h treatment period. This reduction in the CBPI (%) indicates that benfuracarb can be regarded to be cytotoxic on human cells in vitro, and requires further in vivo studies to clarify the actual genotoxicity of this compound.