Study of radio protective effect of Thymus vulgaris essential oil against ionizing radiation on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)

Introduction: Today ionizing radiation (IR) plays an important role in medicine, both in diagnostic and therapeutic field. Doctors, medical staff and patients are all in danger of side effects of IR so there is a need to protect them against deleterious effects of ionizing radiation.  Thymus vulgaris has biological activities like antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Aim of this study is to determine the radio protection effect of essential oil of Thymus vulgaris on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Materials and Methods: At the first step essential oil was obtained from Thymus vulgaris dried powder. Peripheral blood samples were collected from four volunteer donors. PBMCs were treated with non-toxic concentration of Thymus vulgaris essential oil in two groups of ۲۴ hours before and ۱ hour after exposure to both doses of ۰.۲۵ and ۲ Gy of ionizing radiation.  After  ۷۲ hours viability percentage was determined by MTT assay. Results: Non-toxic concentration was obtained in ۱۳۰ µg/ml. viability percentage in groups non- treated, treated ۲۴ hours before and treated ۱ hour after exposer to ۰.۲۵ Gy of ionizing radiation was ۶۵%, ۸۵% and ۵۵% respectively. Also, viability percentage for the same groups that were exposed to ۲ Gy of ionizing radiation was ۷۵%, ۱۰۵% and ۶۵% respectively. Conclusion: As results demonstrate, it is an obvious radiation protection effect in groups that were treated with Thymus vulgaris ۲۴ hours before exposure to ionizing radiation and also it is more specify in higher dose of radiation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Ionizing radiation ، Radiation Protection ، Thymus vulgaris ، PBMC cells