Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, G: Bio-Tech & Genetics, Volume 22 Issue 2

Antimeiotic Properties of the Aqueous Extracts of Leaves, Fruits and Roots of the Muskmelon C ucumis Melo L. (Cucurbitaceae) in the Pest Grasshopper Zonocerus Variegatus L. (Pyrgomorphidae) Ngnaniyyi Abdoul α , Seino Richard Akwanjoh σ & Dongmo Ingrid Tonleu ρ Abstract- The Muskmelon , Cucumis melo L., is a Cucurbitaceae widely cultivated in Cameroon for its nutritional and ethnomedicinal benefits. Sp ecies of Cucurbitacea e are known to contain se veral bioactive molecules that include the terpenoid cucurbitacins, which has been shown to cause significant molting defects and mortality in a variety of Coleoptera insect species such as Leperesinus fraxini PANZ(Coleoptera, Scolytidae) Stereonychus fraxini DE GEER (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). This study was designed to determine if an aqueous extract of Muskmelon, C. melo var. Cantaloupensis Americana , could profoundly affect the meiotic process in the Orthoptera grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus, a veritable food crop pest in Africa south of the Sahara. Different concentrations (0 µg/ml, 5 µg/ml, 10 µg/ml, 20 µg/ml, 30 µg/ml, and 40 µg/ml) of aqueous extract of the leaves, fruits, and roots of C. melo were, respectively injected using the intraperitoneal method (into the hemocoel) of new reproductive and adult male individuals of Z. variegatus . Cytogenetic analysis revealed that Muskmelon extracts significantly reduced meiotic indexinduced meiotic chromosome abnormalities and significantly reduced chiasma frequency. Chromosome abnormalities recorded included sticky chromosomes, Anaphase 1bridges, and laggards. The 40 µg/ml extract of roots was the most cytotoxic and induced the production of ghost cells. These results indicated that the aqueous extracts of C. melo are potential meiotic regulators that can affect fertility in the pest species Z. variegatus. Keywords: cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, cucumis melo L., aqueous extracts, meiotic process, meiotic index, chromosomal abnormalities, zonocerus variegatus L. I. I ntroduction he Muskmelon , Cucumis melo L. (Cucurbitaceae), is variously known in Cameroon as the melon. In addition to Citrulus lanatus (Thunb.) (water melon), C. melo is one of the important cultivated cucurbits in Cameroon. C. melo L. is an annual creeping plant with long stems tendrils, large rounded heart-shaped green leaves, as well as large and round fruits that may be embroidered with white spots [1,2]. The muskmelon is cultivated especially in the North West, and West Regions where whole fruits and dried seeds are commonly sold on the Cameroonian markets [3]. The mesocarp of the fruitis eaten, the seeds used as a thickener in many Cameroonian soups. The species is an important and valuable vegetable crop in Cameroon and several tropical countries. It is widely consumed for its nutritional value and used for a wide variety of traditional medicinal properties [4-6].The family Cucurbitaceae is an economically significant group of plants that contains bioactive phytochemicals such as Glycosides, Terpenoids, Saponins, Tannins, Steroids, and Carotenoids [7]. The terpenoids contain the bitter- tasting bioactive principle, cucurbitacins, compounds that have curative and several biological activities [3,8- 15]. Cucurbitacins are essential for their therapeutic use in cancer treatment and other ethnomedicinal activities. They have also been linked with controlling several beetle pests of Cucurbitaceae plants. Cucurbitacins are very effective in natural plant defense against herbivores [16]. Cucurbitacin B, a variety of this principle, has been shown to significantly reduce the adult longevity and fecundity in the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii [17,15]. It has also been shown to have potent antifeeding properties for insects not adapted to exploiting cucurbits. Four beetles, Popillia japonica Newman, Ceratoma trifurcata (Forster), Leptinotarsadecemlineata (Say), and Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), were reported to stop feeding on application of cucurbitacin B to appropriate sources [18]. Cucurbitacin has been shown to affect oviposition in the moths Ostrinianubilalis (Hubner), and Spodopteraexigua (Hubner) females [18]. Available literature indicates that the bio-pesticidal activities of cucurbitacin have been extensively investigated for beetles of the Coleoptera order. On the other hand, information on the pesticidal effects of cucurbitacin on other pest species, especially the Orthoptera grasshoppers, a vital pest group in Cameroon and Africa, is not available in the literature. Zonocerus variegatus L., has been variously shown to T 1 Year 2022 105 © 2022 Global Journals Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXII Issue ersion I VII ( G ) Author α σ ρ : Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon. e-mails: ngnaniyyi@gmail.com , raseino@yahoo.co.uk, dongmotonleu87@yahoo.fr