Protective effect of kombucha mushroom (KM) tea on chromosomal aberrations induced by gamma radiation in human peripheral lymphocytes in-vitro

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential radioprotective effect of kombucha musroom tea (KM – tea) on gamma radiation (γ) – induced chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. For this purpose, we used in vitro dose-effect relationship, and correlated these data with statistical parameters. CAs were classified into six major types as break, dicentric, acentric, fragment, gap and ring. Mitotic index (MI) and the numbers of aberrant metaphases (AMN) were also calculated for each donor. Six groups of the lymphocytes were prepared by in vitro culture according to the standard protocol. Group I (control) did not receive any γ – radiation or KM – tea, Group II (positive control) was treated with 1000 μl dose of KM – tea alone, Group III was treated with 5 Gy dose of γ – radiation alone, Group IV was treated with 250 μl dose of KM – tea before irradiation, Group V was treated with 500 μl KM – tea before irradiation, Group VI was treated with 1000 μl KM–tea before irradiation. The results indicated that all KM–tea supplemented lymphocytes had lower frequency of CAs than in the group treated with γ radiation alone (p<0.05). It was seen that KM – tea had a protective effect againist CAs particularly at 500 and 1000 μl doses. Besides, MI values increased and AMN decreased after application of KM – tea in a dose/ dependent manner. In vitro results showed that KM – tea supplementation may decrease the frequency of CAs and its radioprotective action against ionizing radiation is dose-dependent.