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Radiation protection by Terminalia chebula: Some mechanistic aspects

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Abstract

Radioprotective ability of the aqueous extract of the fruit of Terminalia chebula (TCE) was evaluated for its antioxidant and radioprotective abilities. TCE (50 μg) was able to neutralise 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, a stable free radical by 92.9%. The free radical neutralizing ability of TCE was comparable to that of ascorbate (100 μM) 93.5% and gallic acid (100 μM) 91.5% and was higher than that of the diethyldithiocarbamate (200 μM) 55.4%, suggesting the free radical activity of TCE. TCE protected the plasmid DNA pBR322 from undergoing the radiation-induced strand breaks. Radiation damage converts the supercoiled form (ccc) of plasmid to open circular form (oc); the presence of TCE during radiation exposure protected the plasmid from undergoing these damages. The administration of TCE (80 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) prior to whole body irradiation of mice (4 Gy) resulted in a reduction of peroxidation of membrane lipids in the mice liver as well as a decrease in radiation-induced damage to DNA, as assayed by single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). TCE also protected the human lymphocytes from undergoing the gamma radiation-induced damage to DNA exposed in vitro to 2 Gy gamma-radiation. These results suggest the radioprotective ability of TCE.

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Abbreviations

TC:

Terminalia chebula

TBARS:

thiobarbituric acid like reactive substances

DPPH:

1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Biology and Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India

    Nitin Motilal Gandhi & Cherupally Krishnan Krishnan Nair

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  1. Nitin Motilal Gandhi
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  2. Cherupally Krishnan Krishnan Nair
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Gandhi, N.M., Nair, C.K.K. Radiation protection by Terminalia chebula: Some mechanistic aspects. Mol Cell Biochem 277, 43–48 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-4819-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-4819-9

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