[ RadSafe ] Natural protection against radiation | Chemistry News Articles

[Doug Huffman]

http://chemistrynewsarticles.blogspot.com/2011/05/natural-protection-against-radiation.html

In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the
Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a
substance similar to resveratrol — an antioxidant found in red wine,
grapes and nuts — could protect against radiation sickness. The report
appears in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Michael Epperly, Kazunori Koide and colleagues explain that radiation
exposure, either from accidents (like recent events in Japan) or from
radiation therapy for cancer, can make people sick. High doses can even
cause death. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently
evaluating a drug for its ability to protect against radiation sickness,
but it is difficult to make in large amounts, and the drug has
side-effects that prevent its use for cancer patients. To overcome these
disadvantages, the researchers studied whether resveratrol — a natural
and healthful antioxidant found in many foods — could protect against
radiation injuries.

They found that resveratrol protected cells in flasks but did not
protect mice (stand-ins for humans in the laboratory) from radiation
damage. However, the similar natural product called acetyl resveratrol
did protect the irradiated mice. It also can be produced easily in large
quantities and given orally. The authors caution that it has not yet
been determined whether acetyl resveratrol is effective when orally
administered.

More information: “The Use of 3,5,4’-Tri-O-acetylresveratrol as a
Potential Prodrug for Resveratrol Protects Mice from
gamma-Irradiation-Induced Death” ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Provided by American Chemical Society

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters http://pubs.acs.org/toc/amclct/current

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ml100159p