Prevention of Radiation Induced Hematological Alterations in Mice by Alstonia Scholaris Extract

Backround: The present study has been carried out to evaluate the radio-protective effects of Alstonia scholaris extract (ASE) on peripheral blood of mice. Materials & Methods: Male Swiss albino mice were selected from an inbred colony and assorted into 4 groups. Animals in Group I were administered with double distilled water (DDW), volume equal to ASE, by oral gavage to serve as vehicle treated control. Mice in Group II were administered orally ASE once daily at a dose of 100 mg/kg b. wt. / animal/day for 5 consecutive days. In Group III, animals were given DDW for 5 consecutive days then exposed to 2.5 Gy gamma radiation. Group IV mice were treated with ASE (as in Group-II), and were exposed to 2.5 Gy after half an hour of the last administration of ASE. Animals of each group were autopsied on 12 hrs, days 1, 3, 7, 15 & 30 post-treatment intervals for hematological as well as biochemical estimations in blood. Results: Total erythrocyte count, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit percentage were decreased from vehicle control in both the groups. A significant increase in these parameters was observed in ASE administered irradiated group, in contrast to without ASE irradiated one, by restoring towards normal values at the end of the experiment. An increase in lipid peroxidation level above normal was evident in serum of irradiated mice, while a significant decrease in such values was noted in Alstonia pretreated group. In irradiated group, glutathione level was registered low in the blood, whereas a significant elevation was estimated in Alstonia pre-treated animals. Conclusion: From the results, it is evident that ASE may be responsible for the protection of stem cells in bone marrow which subsequently resulted in higher hematological constituents in peripheral blood. The study concludes the prophylactic use of such plant extract against radiation-induced hematological alterations. INTRODUCTION: Ionizing radiation transfuses deleterious effects in biological systems. The realization about adverse effects of radiation began immediately after the discovery of X-ray in the form of skin cancer. Parallely, the awareness about existence of radionucleides intensified the threat of radiation. Rapid advancement in technology also further added varied kind of radiation stresses. Ionizing radiations inflict damage to biological systems essentially through direct deposition of