Radioprotective Potential of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abang-abang) Leaf Extract on Gamma-Irradiated Human Blood Lymphocytes In Vitro
C. Marasigan, and F. Jacinto (1-12)
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to assess the radioprotective potential of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abang-abang) extract on gamma-irradiated human lymphocytes through in vitro micronucleus assay. The unadulterated extract of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abangabang) was diluted into varying concentrations of 0.1 mg/mL, 0.2 mg/mL, 0.3 mg/mL, and 0.4 mg/mL, after which they were added to the irradiated blood samples. Based on the study and data gathered, the extract of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abang-abang) was found to have significantly reduced the number of micronuclei in the 1,000 binucleated cells. From the four concentration levels, it was the 0.4 mg/mL concentration of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abang-abang) that exhibited the greatest radioprotective activity in terms of the reduced micronucleus formation from which it yielded a mean of 33 micronuclei. Furthermore, based on the correlational and regression analysis, there is a significant relationship between plant extract concentration and the number of micronuclei formation and it is apparent that the plant concentration level of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis has a strong inverse correlation with the number of micronuclei (r = −0.90, p = 0.04).
This study can benefit people who are excessively exposed to ionizing radiation, specifically cancer patients who have undergone radiotherapy. This study will provide a great innovation on how the effect of ionizing radiation in the public will lessen. This study provided evidence that the leaf extract of the plant Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abang-abang) gives a protection to minimize ill effects to patients who are inevitably exposed to ionizing radiation. This study provided a contribution to the utilization of Leea manillensis syn. guineensis (Abangabang), which is endemic here in the Philippines.