Some toxicological parameters of mancozeb (50 and 100 mg/kg b.w.) were
studied with and without watercress on rats. Activities of some enzymes are
determined in rats after treatment such as Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain,
liver acid and alkaline phosphatases (ACP and ALP), glutathione-s-transferase
(GST),glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase
(GOT and GPT) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. Mancozeb alone reduced
significantly the activities of both AChE and GST but elevated the activities of ACP
and ALP, GOT, GPT and cyto. P450 monooxygenase. Mancozeb with watercress
reduced AChE, phosphatases and transaminases activities significantly in the two
doses than mancozeb treatment alone. On the other hand mancozeb with watercress
elevated GST activity but reduced cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activities at two
doses respectively. Also, mancozeb induced chromosomal aberrations in spreads of
bone marrow cells of rats which consisted mainly of stickiness, fragmentation,
centromeric fusion, ring, break and end to end association in two doses of mancozeb.
The mitotic activity was increased at all durations in rats bone marrow cells if
compared with the control. Watercress given three weeks prior to mancozeb showed
inhibition of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells at all intervals and also
inhibition in mitotic activity when compared with animals given mancozeb only.