Abstract
BackgroundThe commonly consumed antioxidants β-carotene and tea polyphenols were used to assess their protective effects against γ-radiation induced sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) mutation and oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster. Third instar larvae and adult males of wild-type Oregon-K (ORK) were fed on test agents for 24 and 72 h respectively before exposure to 10Gy γ-irradiation. The treated/control flies were used to assess the induction of SLRLs. We also evaluated antioxidant properties of these phytochemicals in the third instar larvae.ResultsDifferent stages of spermatogenesis in adult males showed a decrease in γ-radiation induced SLRL frequencies upon co-treatment with test agents. A similar trend was observed in larvae. Furthermore, a significant increase in antioxidant enzymatic activities with a decrease in malondialdehyde content was observed.Conclusionβ-carotene and tea polyphenols have exerted antigenotoxic and antioxidant effects in Drosophila. This study demonstrated the suitability of Drosophila as an alternative to mammalian testing for evaluating the antigenotoxic and antioxidant activity of natural products.
Highlights
The commonly consumed antioxidants β-carotene and tea polyphenols were used to assess their protective effects against γ-radiation induced sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) mutation and oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster
Induction of SLRLs by 10Gy γ-radiation in Drosophila larvae and adult flies and its modulation by β carotene (BC) and Tea Polyphenon-60 (TP) In our study, we examined the antimutagenic potential of BC and TP against γ-radiation-induced SLRL mutation
The results obtained in terms of % lethals from the adult and larval SLRL experiments with the two test compounds are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 respectively
Summary
The commonly consumed antioxidants β-carotene and tea polyphenols were used to assess their protective effects against γ-radiation induced sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) mutation and oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster. Radiations and certain chemical agents induce DNA lesions, which may cause genomic instability and activate cancer generation. Exposure to such mutagens disturbs ROS homeostasis leading to overproduction of ROS which enhances DNA damage. The most common radioprotective mode of action of phytochemicals implicate chelation and scavenging of free radicals generated during β-carotene (BC) belongs to the carotenoid family with potential to scavenge singlet oxygen species/free radicals [9]. It is a natural precursor of vitamin A, which is most efficiently converted into vitamin A as compared to other provitamins [10]. BC is reported to protect against chromosomal damage, induction of micronuclei [13] and lipid peroxidation [14, 15]
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