Comparison of radiation protection effects between epigallocatechin gallate and ascorbic acid

Abstract

Ionizing radiation can originate from naturally occurring radiation sources on the earth or it can be from man-made sources. When interacting with cells and living organisms, ionizing radiation produces free radicals, impacting biological molecules such as proteins, lipids, and DNA in the cell nucleus and membrane, leading to cell death or causing cell mutations. Epigallocathecin gallate (EGCG) and ascorbic acid (AA) are well-known natural antioxidants that have been studied and applied as potential radical scavengers. In this study, the radiation protection effects in the presence of EGCG and AA via the scavenging process of free radicals (mainly hydroxyl radicals) were examined. Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells were grown in YDP liquid medium containing yeast extract, peptone, and dextrose/glucose that supplemented with EGCG and AA at different concentrations. Then, the cell cultures were irradiated with both low (gamma) and high (helium ion beam) linear energy transfer (LET) radiations to evaluate the radiation effect on the survival of the yeast cell. Both of EGCG and AA play effectively important roles as radiation-protective agent for yeast cells and the effectiveness in radiation protection of EGCG and AA at the same concentration was almost the same between these two additives.