Phytochemicals: A potential next generation agent for radioprotection

Abstract

Background: Radiation hazards are accountable for extensive damage in the biological system and acts as a public health burden. Owing to the rapid increasing in radiation technology, both Ionizing radiation (IR) from natural and man made source poses detrimental outcome to public health. IR releases free radicals which induces oxidative stress and deleterious biological damage by modulating radiation induced signalling intermediates. The efficacy of existing therapeutic approach and treatment strategy are limited owing to their toxicity and associated side effects. Indian system of traditional medicine is enriched with prospective phytochemicals with potential radioprotection ability.

Purpose: The present review elucidated and summarized the potential role of plant derived novel chemical compound with prospective radioprotective potential.

Method: So far as the traditional system of Indian medicine is concerned, plant kingdom is enriched with potential bioactive molecules with diverse pharmacological activities. We reviewed several compounds mostly secondary metabolites from plant origin using various search engines.

Results: Both compounds from land plants and marine source exhibited antioxidant antiinflammatory, free radical scavenging ability. These compounds have tremendous potential in fine-tuning of several signalling intermediates, which are actively participated in the progression and development of a pathological condition associated with radiation stress.

Conclusion: Development and explore of an operational radioprotective agent from originated from plant source that can be used as a novel molecular tool to eliminate the widespread damage caused by space exploration, ionizing radiation, nuclear war and radiotherapy has been significantly appreciated. Through extensive literature search we highlighted several compounds from both land plant and marine origin can be implemented for a better therapeutic potential against radiation induced injury. Furthermore, extensive clinical trials must be carried out in near future for better therapeutic modality and clinical efficacy.

Keywords: Ionising radiation; Phytochemicals; Radioprotection; Secondary metabolites.