Sodium benzoate is one of the commonly used chemical preservative in the food industry. It increases the life of food and protecting them from spoiling and keep them fresh. Several investigation have been found that the food preservatives have toxic effect on various organs including liver, kidney, brain, nervous system, etc. due to the formation of free radicals which in turn the damages the chromosome, it has genetic effect also if consume long time. In present study it is revealed that the toxicity of sodium benzoate was evaluated in mitotic metaphase chromosome of swiss albino mice (Mus musculus), isolated from the bone marrow cells. Structural and mitotic disruptive changes were reported and its amelioration was done by antioxidant rich fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graceum) seed extracts. Sodium benzoate (2.25 mg/ml) administrated orally to Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) for 35 days increases the frequency of chromosome abnormality 48(16±2.11%) compare to 13 (4.3±1.17%) of control on mitotic chromosome which is significantly higher. The abnormalities were 11 (3.6±1.07%) in group fed only with fenugreek seed extract. However, when fenugreek seed extract and sodium benzoate fed concurrently the abnormalities were 15(5.0±1.25%) respectively. The result showed that sodium benzoate is potent enough to damage mitotic chromosome and present finding also showed that concurrent treatment of fenugreek seed extract and sodium benzoate decreases the frequency of mitotic chromosomal abnormalities. Therefore it is suggested that the fenugreek seed extract may reduce the risk of sodium benzoate induced genotoxicity.
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