The development of radioprotective agents has been the subject of intense research in view of their potential for use within a radiation environment, such as space exploration, radiotherapy and even nuclear war. However, no ideal synthetic radioprotectors are available at present, so the search for alternative sources, including plants, has been on going for several decades. This article reviews some of the most promising plants, and their radioprotection related activities.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; trends ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Radiation Injuries ; drug therapy ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use

AIMTo investigate the survival rate and the level of HaCaT cells damage with ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation at various doses, and observe the protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 in vitro.

METHODSMTT assay was employed to analyze the cell survival rate after UVB radiation of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mJ x cm(-2). The damage of nucleolus and the protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 were scanned by Hoechst 33258 staining and single cell gel electrophoresis assay (SCGE).

RESULTSIt was found that the cell survival rate decreased gradually and the damage of nucleolus aggravated as the radiation dose increased from 30 mJ x cm(-2) to 120 mJ x cm(-2). At the dose of 20 microg x mL(1-), obvious protective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 can be observed against UVB radiation-induced HaCaT cells growth inhibition and nucleolus damage.

CONCLUSIONUVB radiation inhibits HaCaT human keratinocytes growth and ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 can relief the damage.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Protective Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ultraviolet Rays ; adverse effects

Echinacea (E.) purpurea herb is commonly known as the purple coneflower, red sunflower and rudbeckia. In this paper, we report the curative efficacy of an Echinacea extract in gamma-irradiated mice. E. purpurea was given to male mice that were divided into five groups (control, treated, irradiated, treated before irradiation & treated after irradiation) at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight for 2 weeks before and after irradiation with 3 Gy of gamma-rays. The results reflected the detrimental reduction effects of gamma-rays on peripheral blood hemoglobin and the levels of red blood cells, differential white blood cells, and bone marrow cells. The thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) level, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSPx) activities and DNA fragmentation were also investigated. FT-Raman spectroscopy was used to explore the structural changes in liver tissues. Significant changes were observed in the microenvironment of the major constituents, including tyrosine and protein secondary structures. E. purpurea administration significantly ameliorated all estimated parameters. The radio-protection effectiveness was similar to the radio-recovery curativeness in comparison to the control group in most of the tested parameters. The radio-protection efficiency was greater than the radio-recovery in hemoglobin level during the first two weeks, in lymphoid cell count and TBARs level at the fourth week and in SOD activity during the first two weeks, as compared to the levels of these parameters in the control group.
Animals ; Antioxidants/isolation & purification/*pharmacology ; Blood Cell Count ; DNA Fragmentation/drug effects ; Echinacea/*chemistry ; Erythrocytes/drug effects/radiation effects ; *Gamma Rays ; Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism ; Leukocytes/drug effects/radiation effects ; Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects ; Liver/*drug effects/enzymology/radiation effects ; Male ; Mice ; *Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology ; Radiation-Protective Agents/isolation & purification/pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibitory effect of Ganoderma lucidum, the extract of chloroform, the extract of ethyl acetate and the remains after two-time extraction on BEL-7402 and MGC-803 cells and their protective effects on HL-7702 cells pre-and post-exposed to cisplatin (DDP) and various doses of 60Co gamma irradiation.

METHODThe antitumor activity and protective effects on damaged HL-7702 cells induced by radiotherapy and chemotherapy of ganoderma lucidum were determined by MTT technique.

RESULTThe anticancer activity of the extract of chloroform Ganoderma lucidum was the best: at the concentration of 0.125 mg x mL(-1), the inhibitory rate was over 50%. To the HL-7702 cells damaged by DDP, four kinds of extracts didn't exert restoring effect, but the pretreatment with the extract of chloroform reduced the damaged degree significantly. To the 60Co gamma irradiated HL-7702 cells, only the extract of chloroform exerted restoring effect to some extent when exposed to middle or high dose of irradiation. The pre-administration of four kinds of extracts reduced the damaged degree by radiation.

CONCLUSIONThe extract of chloroform exerts notable antitumor effects on cancer cells and protective effects on damaged normal cells induced by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Cisplatin ; adverse effects ; Cobalt Radioisotopes ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Reishi ; chemistry ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Si-Wu-Tang on serum protein of blood deficient mice b y proteomicstechnique and study the enriching and regulating blood mechanism of Si-Wu-Tang on mocular level.

METHODThe blood deficient mice was induced by using a single dose of 3.5 Gy radiation from a 60Cogamma source, and high resolution two-dimensional polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), computer-assisted image analysis, and mass spectrometry were used to detect regulated protein by Si-Wu-Tang.

RESULT12 lower and 4 higher protein in sera could be recovered by Si-Wu-Tang, 4 protein might be DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, Dystrophin, KIF13A, dystonin. They play a part in DNA double-stranded break repair, recombination and modulation of transcription, transportation of mannose-6-phosphate receptor, etc.

CONCLUSIONSi-Wu-Tang can regulate serum protein in blood deficient mice, resulting in improving hematopoiesis and lessening irradiated injury.

Animals ; Autoantigens ; blood ; Carrier Proteins ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dystonin ; Dystrophin ; blood ; Female ; Kinesin ; blood ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; Non-Fibrillar Collagens ; blood ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; blood ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Whole-Body Irradiation