<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Radioprotective effect of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Haberlea rhodopensis</i> (Friv.) leaf extract on <img src='/image/spc_char/gamma2.gif' border=0>-radiation-induced DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant levels in rabbit blood</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-US">Different concentrations of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">H. rhodopensis</i> total extract (HRE; 0.03, 0.06 and 0.12 g/kg body weight) were injected im, into rabbits 2 h before collecting the blood samples. The whole blood samples were exposed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">in vitro</i> to 2.0 Gy ⁶⁰Co <img src='/image/spc_char/gamma2.gif' border=0>-radiation. The radiation-induced changes were estimated by using the chromosome aberration test (CA) and cytokinesis blocked micronucleus assay (CBMN) in peripheral lymphocytes, and by determining the malondialdehyde levels (MDA) in blood plasma and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in erythrocytes. Radiation significantly increased the chromosome aberration and micronuclei frequencies as well as MDA levels and decreased the antioxidant enzyme activity. On the other hand, the HRE pretreatment significantly decreased the CA, MN frequencies and MDA levels and increased the SOD and CAT activity in a concentration dependent manner. The most effective was the highest concentration of HRE (0.12 g/kg body weight). The results suggest that HRE as a natural product with an antioxidant capacity could play a modulatory role against the cellular damage induced by <img src='/image/spc_char/gamma2.gif' border=0>-irradiation. The possible mechanism involved in the radioprotective potential of HRE is discussed.</span>