Year: 2021
Type: review
Abstract: Human exposure to radiation has expanded considerably in recent years, due to a wide range of medical, agricultural, and industrial applications. Despite its beneficial utilities, radiation is also known to have a deleterious effect on cells and tissues, largely through the creation of free radicals, which cause severe damage to biological systems through processes such as DNA double/single-strand fragmentation, protein modification, and upregulation of lipid peroxidation pathways. In addition, radiation damages genetic material while inducing hereditary genotoxicity. Developing measures to counter radiation-induced damage is thus considered to be of significant importance. Considering the inherent capability of plants to survive radiative conditions, certain plants and natural compounds have been the subject of investigations to explore and harness their natural radioprotective abilities. Podophyllum hexandrum, an Indian medicinal plant with several known traditional phytotherapeutic uses, is considered in particular to be of immense therapeutic importance. Recent studies have been conducted to validate its radioprotective potential alongside discovering its protective mechanisms following γ-radiation-induced mortality and disorder in both mice and human cells. These findings show that Podophyllum and its constituents/natural compounds protect the lungs, gastrointestinal tissues, hemopoietic system, and testis by inducing DNA repair pathways, apoptosis inhibition, free radical scavenging, metal chelation, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. In this review, we have provided an updated, comprehensive summary of ionizing radiations and their impacts on biological systems, highlighting the mechanistic and radioprotective role of natural compounds from Podophyllum hexandrum.
Source: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Institutions: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Presidency University, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Rani Durgavati University, St. Aloysius (Deemed to Be University), Imperial College London, Kakatiya Medical College, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Emory University, Emory National Primate Research Center, St. John's University, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,660
OpenAlex ID: W4200121616