Cytogenetic assessment of radioprotector effect of ethanol extract of propolis

A consequence of ionizing radiation interaction at cells is the induction of chromosomal alterations. This relation of causality involves that chromosomal alterations can be considered a good exhibition indicator to the above-mentioned agents.; Some chemical agents can modulate the tissue response to radiation. These compounds are useful when they show certain selectivity, protecting the healthy tissues (radioprotectors) or increasing the sensibility of tissues to radiations (radiosensibilizators).; An evaluation of the propolis substance is performed. Propolis is a product of extraordinary interest for both medicine and pharmaceutical industry, since it is assumed to show diverse beneficial health effects. Among many other attributes of EEP (propolis ethanolic extract), it exhibits the antioxidant and the radical free scavenger properties.; The evaluation of propolis radioprotector effect is aimed at this thesis. With this purpose, propolis ethanolic extract (EEP) has been obtained and samples of peripheral blood have been irradiated under different conditions: to both different radiation doses in EEP absence as well as presence and the same radiation dose to different EEP concentrations. To assess the evaluation, lymphocyte chromosomal alterations have been analysed in the first mitotic division using cytogenetic techniques. The obtained results show a decrease of total alterations when we radiate to a fixed dose and different EEP concentrations, obtaining a protection against radioinduced damage of up to 44%; as well as when we radiate to different doses in presence and absence of a known EEP concentration. In both cases a significant reduction of the linear and quadratic coefficients for the calibration curve has been obtained.; The proposed concentration for radioprotection would be among 120-500 mug·ml -1, when a maximum protection against radioinduced damage is obtained and a cytotoxic effect in not irradiated culture of human being lymphocytes is not evidenced.; The cytotoxic effect has been evaluated analysing the EEP effect at the cellular division cycle. Two indexes have been used, the mitotic index and cell proliferation index. For both indexes the cytotoxic effect takes place from 750 mug·ml-1 concentrations onwards.