The evaluation of the radioprotective effect of Triphala (an ayurvedic rejuvenating drug) in the mice exposed to γ-radiation

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 99 - 108
• Main Authors: Jagetia, G.C., Baliga, M.S., Malagi, K.J., Sethukumar Kamath, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 01.03.2002
• Subjects: acute toxicity; Animals; Combretaceae; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Euphorbiaceae; Fruit - chemistry; Gamma Rays - adverse effects; Male; Medicine, Ayurvedic; Mice; Phyllanthus emblica Linn. or Emblica officinalis Gaertn. and Terminalia bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; radiation; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - etiology; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - mortality; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - prevention & control; Radiation-Protective Agents - pharmacology; Radiation-Protective Agents - therapeutic use; radioprotection; survival; Survival Rate; Terminalia chebula Retz; Toxicity Tests, Acute - methods; Triphala; radioprotection; Triphala; Phyllanthus emblica Linn. or Emblica officinalis Gaertn. and Terminalia bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb; radiation; acute toxicity; survival; Terminalia chebula Retz; mice
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1078/0944-7113-00095

The effect of 0, 5, 6.25, 10, 12.5, 20, 25, 40, 50 and 80 mg/kg b. wt. of aqueous extract of triphala (an Ayurvedic herbal medicine) administrered intraperitoneally was studied on the radiation-induced mortality in mice exposed to 10 Gy of γ-radiation. Treatment of mice with different doses of triphala consecutively for five days before irradiation delayed the onset of mortality and reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness when compared with the non-drug treated irradiated controls. The highest protection against GI (gastrointestinal) death was observed for 12.5 mg/kg triphala, where a highest number of survivors were reported up to 10 days post-irradiation. While 10 mg/kg triphala i.p. provided the best protection as evidenced by the highest number of survivors after 30 days post-irradiation in this group when compared with the other doses of triphala. Toxicity study showed that triphala was non-toxic up to a dose of 240 mg/kg, where no drug-induced mortality was observed. The LD 50 dose i.p. of triphala was found to be 280 mg/kg b. wt. Our study demonstrates the ability of triphala as a good radioprotective agent and the optimum protective dose of triphala was 1/28 of its LD 50 dose.