The study figures out the radioresistance effect of herbal plants in rats exposed to gamma radiation.
Male Swiss albino rats, Rattus norvegicus were treated orally with the ginger (250
mg/kg body weight) and black seed oil, BSO (250 mg/kg body weight) separately and in a
mixture before and after the whole body-irradiation of 8 Gray γ-radiation. Antioxidants,
glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase
(GPx), lipid peroxidation (LPx) and nitric oxide (NO) were estimated in the blood.
The hematological analysis was done as well. The exposure of rats to γ-ray decreased both of
GSH content, CAT, SOD and GPx enzyme activities while increased LPx and NO.
Association of γ-irradiation with ginger or BSO ameliorated the changed levels of
antioxidants toward the control levels. The protective indications of antioxidants were
observed by the treatment of irradiated animals with the mixture of both ginger and BSO,
particularly for GPx, LPx and NO. The results of hematological parameters showed that only
platelet, lymphocyte, monocyte and neutrophil percent were recovered to the control values
significantly when animals were given ginger and BSO solitary or in combination before and
after irradiation. The current study revealed the radioprotective role of ginger extract and
black seed oil as an antioxidant defense system inducer.