In this study, Drosophila melanogaster males were treated with parsley plant extract and
the anticancer drug vincristine (VCR) singly and in combined treatments (pre, co and post-treatments)
to detect the mutagenic effects by using sex-linked recessive lethal test (SLRL) and estimation
of cholinesterase enzyme (ChE) activities in order to compare the sensitivity of the two test
systems. A wild type strain Oregon-R (Or-R) male flies of D. melanogaster were reared on a medium
containing one concentration of each of VCR and parsley (4 ml/100 ml medium) in each single and
combined treatment. Also the activity of ChE was estimated in some insects of the two generations:
F1 females, F2 bar eye females (heterozygous) and F2 wild types males. The results indicate that
both of parsley and vincristine did not cause significant increases of SLRL test in either the single
or combined treatments. In contrast, estimation of ChE activities showed significant increase in all
the broods within single and combination treatments, except female of the second generation of
spermatid brood which treated with parsley and VCR at the same time. It is concluded that enzyme
estimation is more sensitive than SLRL test for detection the mutagenic effect for parsley’s extract
and vincristine.