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

be a veritable pest of both food and cash crops in Cameroon and several Central, East, and West African countries. This grasshopper is a severe problem because of its wide host ranges, and its economic and ecological cost. Thus far, this grasshopper pest has been controlled solely with chemical pesticides such as Malathion. Therefore, the search for effective bioactive substances in the control of the pest continues. The present study was designed to determine the effects of the bioactive compounds in C. melo on the meiotic process in the pest grasshopper Z. variegatus L. It is expected that the extract will affect the meiotic process in the grasshopper which lead to the disruption of the reproduction process in this grasshopper pest species and hence valuable to controlling the pest population. II. M aterials and M ethods a) Raw Materials and Extraction The leaves, fruits, and roots of C. melo used for this study were collected from a farm in Balessing, a village in the Menoua Division of the West Region in Cameroon. The farm was located at latitude 5°30'2''N and longitude 10°14'39''E. It was free of the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Leaves, ripe fruits and roots were collected only from mature plants. The species and variety which was easily recognizable were authenticated by Dr. NGANSOP Eric of the National Herbarium in Yaoundé with reference N080613/SRF/ Cam of 20/04/2022. The plant materials collected were taken to the laboratory, and washed of dust and ground before extraction. The different plant parts were individually chopped into small bits to accelerate drying and then dried in an oven at 60 o C until there was no weight change. These specimens were next ground into powder. To prepare the aqueous extracts, 100 g of each sample was individually macerated in distilled water and stored at room temperature while constantly stirring at regular intervals with a spatula. After 36 h, the mixtures were filtered using a sieve of 150 µm in diameter and then with a coffee filter paper no. 4. The filtrates obtained were treated to 60 o C in an oven to obtain whitish powders with total dry weights of 34.18%, 34.69% and 33.56% for leaves, ripe fruits, and roots, respectively. These were used to prepare stock solutions for leaves, ripe fruits and roots, respectively. From the stock solutions, micro dilutions of 5 µg /ml, 10 µg /ml, 20 µg /ml, 30 µg /ml, and 40 µg /ml were prepared by the addition of distilled water. b) Experimental Animals Eighty (80) adult males of Zonocerus variegatus collected on campus in the University of Dschang (West Region of Cameroon) were brought to the Laboratory of the Research Unit of Biology and Applied Ecology (RUBEA) of the University of Dschang. Before the animal studies, the grasshoppers were reared in mineral water bottle cages and fed with fresh leaves (4 g per day per individual) of bitter leaves ( Vernonia amygdalina ), two days. c) Administration of Extract The grasshoppers were divided into groups of five individuals and labeled I, II, III, IV, V & IV. The grasshoppers in groups I, II, III, IV, & V were respectively used for the evaluation of the aqueous extracts of leaves, fruit, and roots of C. melo, while those in group IV were used as the control. Each of these groups was further divided into five subgroups groups of A, B, C, D & E, each containing five (05) insects. Grasshoppers in groups A, B, C, D & E were respectively injected peritoneally (in hemocoel) with 0.1ml of 5 µg/ml, 10 µg/ml, 20 µg/ml, 30 µg/ml, and 40 µg/ml of aqueous extract. The treated grasshoppers were allowed an incubation period of 96 h before being anesthetized and dissected for the testes. Grasshoppers in group F were the control. d) Preparation and Analysis of Chromosome Smears The chromosome smears were prepared using the method of [19], and the smears were examined with the help of 10X, and the 40X objectives of the Fisher binocular compound light microscope. The meiotic smears obtained were examined for abnormalities that included laggards, bridges, sticky chromosomes, vagrant chromosomes, and breakages. e) Meiotic Index The slides prepared for the extracts were observed under the microscope to record the Number of non-dividing and dividing cells. The Meiotic index was calculated using the formula[20]: Meiotic Index (%) = Number of dividing cells recorded Total number of cells examined X 100 f) Photographs Photographs of chromosome aberrations present were made using a Techno, Camon 16 phone mounted with a 48M AIQUAD Camera. g) Statistical Analysis of Data Collected The Python 3.1 statistical software Pandas package was used for this analysis. The mean of the different types of chromosomal abnormalities as well as the other in-depth meiotic parameters, were subjected to the one-way ANOVA test followed by the Tukey posthoc test (HSD) at the level of significance of p<0.05 [21]. III. R esults and D iscussion a) Cytogenetic Analysis After staining testicular follicles of Z. variegatus treated with aqueous extracts of C. melo , the Orcein- stained cells were analyzed with the 10X and 40X objectives of the compound light microscope. The results on the meiotic index, meiotic behavior of © 2022 Global Journals 1 Year 2022 106 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXII Issue ersion I VII ( G ) 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)