The Radioprotective Activity of Resveratrol-Metabolomic Point of View

Abstract

Resveratrol, a plant-derived polyphenol, is an intensively studied compound with widely documented positive effects on health. Antioxidant activity is the property most often mentioned as responsible for its beneficial effects. Therefore, since the adverse effect of ionizing radiation is primarily related to the induction of oxidative stress, the question arises of whether the use of resveratrol could have a radioprotective effect. This paper summarizes the data on the cytoprotective activity of resveratrol and pieces of evidence for the potential interplay between response to radiation and resveratrol activity. The paper focuses on changes in the metabolic profile of cells and organisms induced by ionizing radiation and exposure to resveratrol. The comparison of metabolic changes induced by both factors provides a rationale for the potential mechanism of the radioprotective effects of resveratrol.

Keywords: metabolomics; radioprotection; resveratrol.

Figure 1

Cellular metabolic pathways affected by ionizing radiation and resveratrol. The diagram illustrates the connections between selected pathways modulated by resveratrol (purple boxes), radiation (orange boxes), and both factors (green boxes).

Figure 2

Hypothetical metabolism-related mechanism of radioprotection by resveratrol: main mechanisms of radiation toxicity and protective effects of resveratrol. IR—ionizing radiation.