Radioprotective potential of Decalepis hamiltonii: A study on gamma radiation-induced oxidative stress and toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Radiation-induced damage to normal tissues restricts the therapeutic use of radiation in clinical application for cancer treatment and thereby limits the efficacy of the treatment. The use of chemical compounds as radioprotectors is a desirable strategy to improve the therapeutic index of radiotherapy. However, most of the synthetic radioprotective compounds studied have shown to have undesirable properties of toxicity. There is a need for safer, natural radioprotective agents without compromising efficacy of the treatment. We have investigated the radioprotective potential of Decalepis hamiltonii (Dh) root extract which is rich in natural antioxidants by employing Drosophila melanogaster as a model. Irradiation of Drosophila with 100, 200, and 400 Gy of gamma radiation induced dose-dependent mortality. Elevation in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and depletion of glutathione (GSH) content suggested radiation-induced oxidative stress. Pretreatment of flies with Dh root extract protected them from radiation-induced mortality and oxidative stress as evidenced by reduction in TBARS and restoration of the antioxidant enzymes, SOD and CAT, and GSH to control levels. This is the first report of radioprotective action of Dh root extract in D. melanogaster.