Radiation exposure is a key factor leading to oxidative stress and related biomolecular damage. Natural products have shown potential utility in alleviating radiation-induced oxidative damage due to their rich antioxidant components. The purpose of this review is to explore the mechanism and research progress of natural products in protecting cells from radiation-induced oxidative stress, summarize the oxidative damage caused by radiation and its mechanism, and emphasize the overproduction of free radicals and the imbalance of antioxidant defense system as the main pathological processes. The antioxidant effects of polyphenols(ketones and phenolic acids) in direct scavenging of free radicals and enhancing the activity of intracellular antioxidant enzymes were reviewed in detail. The special antioxidation mechanisms of polysaccharides, saponins and alkaloids were explained. The specific role of organosulfides and melatonin in protecting cells from oxidative damage was further explored. This article integrates the relevant research progress in recent years and prospectively analyzes the clinical effect and potential impact of antioxidant drugs, hoping to provide reference for the development of new radiation protection strategies.
Wu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.