ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential radioprotective effect of kombucha musroom tea (KM – tea) on gamma radiation (g) – 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 g – 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 g – 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 g - 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.
ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to evaluate the protective role of kombucha mushroom (KM) tea on cytotoxicity induced by phenol (PHE) in mice. We used weight gain and micronucleus (MN) frequency as indicators of cytotoxicity, and supported these parameters with pathological findings. The animals were randomly divided into seven groups: (Group I) only tap water (Group II) 1000 -l kg-1 b. wt KM– tea, (Group III) 35 mg kg-1 body wt. PHE (Group IV) 35 mg kg-1 body wt. PHE + 250 -l kg-1 b. wt KM–tea (Group V) 35 mg kg-1 b. wt PHE + 500 -l kg-1 b. wt KM–tea (Group VI) 35 mg kg-1 b. wt PHE + 750 -l kg-1 b. wt KM–tea, (Group VII) 35 mg kg-1 b. wt PHE + 1000 -l kg-1 b. wt KM–tea, for 20 consecutive days by oral gavage. The results indicated that all KM–tea supplemented mice showed a lower MN frequency than erythrocytes in only PHE–treated group. There was an observable regression on account of lesions in tissues of mice supplemented with different doses of KM–tea in histopathological observations. In conclusion, the KM–tea supplementation decreases cytotoxicity induced by PHE and its protective role is dose-dependent.