A majority of potential radio protective synthetic compounds have demonstrated limited clinical application owing to their inherent toxicity, and thus, the seeking of naturally occurring products for their radioprotective capability has become an attractive alternative. Onion has been widely used in traditional medicine for its wide spectrum of medicinal effects. Many of its medicinal effects are attributed to flavonoids and sulfur-containing compounds. The present study showed that whole-body exposure of male rats to γ-irradiation with fractionated doses of 6 Gy (2 Gy/ 3 times day after day) caused deleterious effects on the WBCs and RBCs counts, Hb concentration and Hct %, serum total protein content, albumin and globulin levels, ASAT, ALAT and ALP activities, as well as on the histological architecture of the liver. Treatment of rats with onion oil (100 mg/Kg body wt. for consecutive 28 days) prior to or post-exposure to γ-irradiation attenuated the deleterious effects of radiation. Since free radicals play an important role in radiation-induced damage, the underlying radioprotective mechanism of onion could be linked, either directly or indirectly, to its antioxidative capability by the scavenging free radicals responsible for DNA damage. In addition, onion's radioprotective potential may also be related to its immunomodulating capabilities. From the present study it can be concluded that, in addition to its antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities, onion oil appears to be a promising radioprotector for preventive or therapeutic protocols capable of reducing the biological hazards induced by γ-irradiation.
Key words: Radiation Onion oil Haematology Liver functions Histology Rat
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