Abstract

NASTURTIUM OFFICINALE AND RAPHANUS SATIVUS CRUDE EXTRACTS PROTECT OVARY FROM RADIATION-INDUCED DNA DAMAGE

Ibrahim A. Ibrahim*, Wafaa Gh. Shousha, El-Sayed M. El-Sayed,
Shimaa Sh. Ramadan

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the potential protective effect of Nasturtium officinale (watercress) and Raphanus sativus (radish) on gamma-irradiation induced DNA damage in female rats. One-hundred female wistar albino rats were divided into ten groups. Four groups were controls (normal control, irradiated group, watercress control and radish control). Three groups orally administrated the watercress extract (500 mg/kg) before, after or before and after irradiation. The experiment period was 8 weeks and the irradiation was at the beginning of the 5th week. The other three groups were orally administrated the radish extract (400 mg/kg) before, after or before and after irradiation. As gamma radiation can lead to damage in the genomic DNA, RAPD-PCR analysis was performed to detect the different types of DNA damages which were confirmed by histopathological examination. The irradiation caused damage in the genomic DNA which appeared as a decrease in the number of the amplified DNA fragments or quantitative mutation. This damage was ameliorated with administration of extracts especially with radish treatment before and after irradiation. In addition, the damages occurred to the ovary structure by ionizing radiation were disappeared by extracts administration before and after irradiation. These reflect the radioprotective effect of watercress and radish which may be due to the high content of isothiocyanate, kaempherol glycosides and l-tryptophan compounds which have the ability to scavenge free radical and enhance the DNA repair system or DNA synthesis.

Keywords: ionizing radiation, Nasturtium officinale, Raphanus sativus, DNA damage, ovary.