Abstract

RADIOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF SEEDS OF DRYPETES ROXBURGHII WALL. IN SWISS ALBINO MICE EXPOSED TO ELECTRON BEAM RADIATION

Shastry CS*, Aswathanarayana BJ, Ganesh S, Kalluraya B, Maurya DK

Abstract

Ionizing radiation acts as an important source for the generation of free radicals in the biological system which results in several pathological conditions. Ayurveda, traditional Indian system of medicine, has described several medicinal plants for the protective action against radiation induced damage. The present study was aimed at assessing the radioprotective activity of ethanolic extract of seeds of Drypetes roxburghii Wall. (Family: Euphorbiaceae), against electron beam irradiation on mice which was evaluated by 30 days survival study followed by antioxidant biochemical assays. Pretreatment with 400 mg/kg of ethanolic extract of Drypetes roxburghii Wall. delayed the onset of mortality and increased the survival rate (upto 40%) compared to irradiation control group. There was an increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) activity in-vivo in irradiation control group which was attenuated by the extract treatment.. The glutathione-S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities were significantly increased in extract group compared to irradiation control group. There was significant reduction in oxidative stress due to radiation exposure in-vitro to mitochondrial fraction with extract treated group was observed. The treatment with extract also showed in-vitro free-radical scavenging activity in a concentration dependent manner in DPPH, ABTS, Total Antioxidant Capacity and H2O2 assays. Thus our finding shows that 400 mg/kg of ethanolic extract of seeds of Drypetes roxburghii Wall. has potent radioprotective activity which may be due to antioxidant and free-radical scavenging property of the extract.

Keywords: Electron beam radiation, Drypetes roxburghii Wall., radioprotective, antioxidant, free-radical scavenging.