Radiation induced testicular injury and its amelioration by Prunus domestica in Swiss albino mice

Background: The increasing use of nuclear radia on for human welfare necessitates the search for new, safe, cost effec ve radio protectors not only for the personnel’s charged with the responsibility of working or tes ng with radia ons in laboratories, but also for general public. With this view the present study has been undertaken to determine the deleterious effects of sub lethal gamma radia on on testes and its modula on by Prunus domes ca extract (PDE). Material and Methods: For this purpose Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups: (1) Control (2) PDE treated (400 mg kg−1 day−1 for 15 days) (3) Irradiated (5 Gy) (4) PDE + Irradiated and (5) Irradiated+PDE treated. An oxidant and biochemical assays as well as histopathological analysis were performed to verify PDE radioprotec ve poten al. Results: Radia on induced histological lesions in tes cular architecture were observed more severe in all experimental groups. PDE administra on before irradia on significantly ameliorated radia on induced eleva on in lipid peroxida on and deficit in glutathione, protein, superoxide dismutase, catalase concentra on in testes. PDE was found to have strong radical scavenging ac vity in 2,2‐ diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*) and also showed in vitro radioprotec ve ac vity. Conclusion: The results indicate the radioprotec ve poten al of Prunus domes ca fruit extract in tes cular cons tuents against gamma