The use of green apple and beet-root as natural radio-protectors against health effects of ionizing radiation

Abstract

Received: 17th May 2021 Accepted: 29th July 2021 Ionizing radiation is used to diagnose and treat a wide range of cancers and diseases. Normal cells exposed to radiation may have both acute and chronic biological adverse effects. blood components are one of most sensitive organs subjected to these adverse effects of ionizing radiation. Natural compounds such as products from fruits and plants can be used after exposure to ionizing radiation during diagnostic or therapeutic purposes to reduce the possible adverse effects. This study aims at evaluating the antioxidant protective role of beetroot and apple to reduce impact of ionizing radiation on the blood components. Sixty adult white male rats were evenly divided into four experimental groups, Group 1 (n= 15) was used as a control group. Groups 2, 3 and 4 (n=15 each) were injected intravenously with radioactive material Tc130 ± 5 Mega Becquerel )MBq( (5 ± 0.5 Milli Curry )mCi)( as a source of ionizing radiation (gamma rays). Groups 2 and 4 were fed with apple fruit and beet seeds in addition to a small amount of commercial food. Rats in G3 were fed with commercial food pellets only and received the same volume of water. Rats in groups G1, G2 and G3 were sacrificed after7 days while those of G4 were sacrificed after 30 days. Osmotic fragility of RBCs and hematological parameters were investigated for each group. The structure characteristics of the blood cells for all groups were studied by recording the UV -Vis spectra. The study revealed statistically significant changes regarding RBCs indices along with increased osmotic fragility among rats of group 3 compared to those in groups 1, 2 and 4. The U.V. spectrum revealed a partial irregularity in the RBCs. The present study pointed out to the protective role of natural products namely, beetroots and green apple extracts, against the adverse impact of ionizing radiation on blood indices