Protective effect of carica papaya Linn against ? -radiation- induced tissue damage in rats

Abstract EN

The present study was designed to determine the possible protective effects of the Carica papaya fruit aqueous extract (CP) against ?-radiation induced oxidative stress, biochemical and hematological alterations in male albino rats.

Papaya (250mg/Kg BW /day) was given to male albino rats, via gavages for 6 days prior exposure to the 1st radiation fraction and the treatment was continued for 14 days after the 1st irradiation fraction till the end of the experiment (4 Gy / week up to 8 Gy total doses).

The samples were taken from the blood and some organs, liver and kidney for the biochemical analysis.

In the irradiated group, there were a significant decrease in RBCs, WBCs count and Hb content.

Dramatic increments in the serum indices of liver (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin) and kidney (urea, uric acid and creatinine) functions were also recorded depicting a liver and kidney impairment state.

Also, a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content and Xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in parallel to a significant decrease in the activity of xanthine dehydrogenase accompanied by a significant decrease in reduced glutathione content (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities were recorded in both liver and kidney tissues compared to control group.

Treatment with CP (250mg/kg) was found to offer significant protection against ?-radiationinduced toxicity in the tissues, which was evident by the improved status of most of the parameters investigated.

These results suggest that CP could increase the antioxidant defense systems in the liver and kidney of irradiated animals, and may protect from adverse effects of whole body radiation.