Two lots of grasshoppers, one controlled and the other treated series, are hypodermically injected with 0.25% NaOH and 0.1% of chalcone in 0.25% NaOH respectively at the rate of 0.02-0.03cc/grasshopper. After 4 and 8 hours, the testes are dissected out in normal saline and fixed in aceto-alcohol (1:3) and lastly preserved in 70% alcohol. The stored tissue is stained permanently following Smith's technique.
Qualitative and quantitative studies have been made on the effect of chalcone on spermatocytic chromsomes of grasshopper. The aberration frequency varies with time in treated series but not in controlled series. The result shows that the chemical is markedly effective in reducing the chromosome aberration after 8 hours' treatment.
The probable mechanism and mode of action of the chemical have been discussed in the light of other phenolic compounds worked out on plant and animal chromosomes. It seems that there might be different pathway of action of the chemical i.e., it might disturb the DNA metabolism of cell or the the oxidationreduction system of cell nucleus but not in the classical way as postulated but in a reverse way.