Review on Natural Bioactive Products as Radioprotective Therapeutics: Present and Past Perspective

Abstract

Among conventional treatment methodologies, surgery, hyperthermia, radiation, and chemotherapy have become integral components of treatment for most cancers. Radiation therapy in the treatment of many malignancies is always the better choice over surgery and chemotherapy. Ionizing radiation produced as a consequence of using these radiations has always been a concern in these treatment methods. Synthetic radio-protectors with their inherent limitations are being used to date to reduce the mortality of these radiations; still, it compromises the clinical efficacy of these administrations. Hence, investigations for alternative methods, including natural resources such as plant and fruit extracts, are being explored to treat radiation-mediated ailments. The present review article endeavors to provide a comprehensive, updated, and chronological account of these promising plants and fruit extracts and their bioactive principles as radio-protectors. We present the merits and demerits of radiation therapy and cell stress generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with radiation need and availability of radio-protectors. Finally, we discuss green-based bioactive compounds that have radioprotective properties.

Keywords: Plant extract; cancer; chemotherapy; ionization radiations; radiation therapy; radioprotectors.