<i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN;mso-bidi-language:HI" lang="EN-IN">Mentha piperita</span></i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN;mso-bidi-language:HI" lang="EN-IN"> (Linn .) leaf extract provides protection against radiation induced chromosomal damage in bone marrow of mice</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Oral administration of <i>M. piperita</i> (1g/kg body weight/day) before exposure to gamma radiation was found to be effective in protecting against the chromosomal damage in bone narrow of Swiss albino mice. Animals exposed to 8 Gy gamma radiation showed chromosomal aberntions in the form of chromatid breaks, chromosome breaks, centric rings, dicentrics, exchanges and acentric fragments. There was a significant increase in the frequency of aberrant cells at 6 hr after irradiation. Maximum aberrant cells were observed at 12 hr post-irradiation autopsy time. Further, the frequency of aberrant cells showed decline at late post-irradiation autopsy time. However, in the animals pretreated with <i>Mentha</i> extract, there was a significant decrease in the frequency of aberrant cells as compared to the irradiated control. Also significant increase in percentage of chromatid breaks, chromosome breaks, centric rings, dicentries, exchanges, acentric fragments, total aberrations and aberrations/damaged cell was observed at 12 hr post-irradiation autopsy time in control animals, whereas <i>Mentha</i> pretreated irradiated animals showed a significant decrease in percentage of such aberrations. A significant decrease in GSH content and increase in LPO level was observed in control animals, whereas <i>Mentha</i> pretreated irradiated animals exhibited a significant increase in GSH content and decrease in LPO level but the values remained below the normal. The radioprotective effect of <i>Mentha</i> was also demonstrated by determining the LD_50/30 values (DRF=1.78). The results from the present study suggest that <i>Mentha</i> pretreatment provides protection against radiation induced chromosomal damage in bone marrow of Swiss albino mice.</span>