RESUMO
CONTEXT: Insecticides are used to control pests. Cypermethrin and fenvalerate are widely used pirethroid insecticides in the world. Rosa canina L. (Rosaceae) is used as a traditional medicinal plant against viral infections and disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract due to its high vitamin C level. OBJECTIVE: The genotoxic effects of cypermethrin and fenvalerate were examined with the micronucleus (MN) test. Then, we determined the ability of the water (RC(wtr)) and ethanol (RC(eta)) extracts of rosehip (R. canina) to overcome the possible genotoxic effects of the insecticides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preliminary studies determined that the application concentrations were 20, 30, 40, and 50 ppm for cypermethrin, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm for fenvalerate, and 100 ppm for rosehip extracts. DMSO (dimethyl sulphoxide) (1%) and 1 mM EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate) were used as negative and positive control groups, respectively. The application groups belonging to insecticides and plant extracts were added to culture tubes including chromosome B medium and peripheral blood for MN test. RESULTS: The MN frequencies were found 0.725 in the negative control group, 2.700 in the positive control groups, 1.275 in the highest application group of cypermethrin, and 1.600 in the highest application group of fenvalerate. The MN frequencies in cypermethrin + RC(wtr), cypermethrin + RC(eta), fenvalerate + RC(wtr), and fenvalerate + RC(eta) application groups were, respectively, determined as 1.000, 1.075, 1.225, and 1.275. CONCLUSION: According to the results, cypermethrin and fenvalerate have genotoxic effects, the water and ethanol extracts of rosehip reduced the genotoxicity of the both insecticides.