The study aimed to determine the effectivity of plant extracts (mangosteen, mayana and red sweet potato) as alternative stains for the mitotic chromosomes of onion. Experimental method was used in the study, it started with harvesting fresh root tips, then fixation for 2 days using farmers fluid, then incubation for 15 minutes with 45% acetic acid for 60 degrees, then washed with distilled water, dehydrated with absolute alcohol, cleared using a clove oil, and staining the specimens with different plant extracts (mangosteen, mayana and red sweet potato) including the control (acetocarmine) followed by squashing for microscopic observation (Amoroso, 1994). Basically, there were 4 treatments, each treatment had 5 replications, and these specimens were rated by 20 research participants. Staining properties which include staining capacity, staining stability and shelf life were evaluated. The statistical treatment performed in this study was Kruskal-Wallis Test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to determine which treatment means significantly differ from each other. Using the results of the study, the three (3) different plant extracts showed significant effects because all the parameters presented a significant difference, however, it revealed that mangosteen plant extract showed the highest effect among all parameters. The plant extract from the fruit peel of the mangosteen contained tannin and anthocyanin which is popularly known and used as a natural colorant.
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