Ameliorative effects of melatonin against nano and ionic cobalt induced genotoxicity in two in vivo Drosophila assays.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ameliorative effect of melatonin (MEL) against induced genotoxicity by cobalt (II) chloride (CoCl2) and cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) (50 nm). Genotoxicity of CoCl2 and CoNPs were investigated using single cell gel electrophoresis (COMET) in Drosophila melanogaster hemocytes, which are blood cells of the Drosophila, and the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) was used to investigate mutant effects on the Drosophila wings. Three concentrations (0.1, 1, and 10 mM) of CoNPs and CoCl2 were applied to demonstrate their genotoxic potential. Both CoNPs and CoCl2 have mutagenic potential for the three concentrations tested in the COMET assay; however, only the 10 mM concentration of the ionic form and two high concentrations (1 and 10 mM) of CoNPs induced genotoxicity in the Drosophila SMART assay. Three different concentrations of MEL (0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 mM) were used against cobalt at highest concentration (10 mM) of both CoCl2 and CoNPs in both the SMART and COMET assays. MEL ameliorated the genotoxicity induced by CoCl2 and CoNPs in vivo Drosophila COMET and SMART assays.