Vicia faba Plant Suitability Assessment for Genotoxicity, Cytotoxicity, and Mutagenicity Testing of Pharmaceutical-Containing Wastewater

Abstract

The article aimed to assess the Vicia faba plant’s suitability in the micronucleus test for determining toxicity of wastewater containing diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole. Additionally, the study evaluated the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase in plant leaves. The assessment of wastewater was performed on laboratory-constructed wetland models. Both influent and effluent samples were tested, and the study examined two methods of plant root exposure: hydroponic culture and soil culture. The analysis showed a decrease in the mitotic index (57% inhibition on average in hydroponic and 42% in soil culture for influent and 39% and 19%, respectively, for treated wastewater), indicating the toxicity of the wastewater. The inhibition of the cell division frequency was lower in soil culture, and the frequency of aberrations of chromosomes was also lower. However, there was no increase in micronuclei frequency. An upsurge in catalase activity was observed upon analyzing the wastewater, with a 67% increase in the influent and a 20% increase in the treated wastewater. Additionally, there was a notable boost in superoxide dismutase activity, primarily in hydroponic culture with raw wastewater, averaging 186%. The results showed genotoxic and cytotoxic effects, but there were no mutagenic effects. The Vicia faba assay is advantageous for its simplicity and rapid results; it offers representative assessment of genotoxicity through its broad range of detected effects.