Study of radioprotective effect of the resveratrol

Resveratrol (3,4,5 trihydroxystilbene), a phenolic phytoalexin occurring naturally in a wide variety of plants, such as grapevines, in response to injury as fungal infections and exposure to ultraviolet light. In the wines this compound is present at high levels and is considered one of the highest antioxidant constituents. This high capacity to scavenge the free radicals generated by several biologic processes by resveratrol can provide a prevention of human cardiovascular diseases and several types of cancer. The main objective of this study was to determine the in vitro radioprotective effect of resveratrol in cell culture with the aid of the tests of cytotoxicity of resveratrol (IC50%) and lethal dose 50% of gamma radiation (LD50). Studies of the level of resveratrol toxicity, found by cytotoxicity test performed by neutral red uptake assay, and lethal dose 50% (LD50) of gamma radiation from source of Cobalt-60 (Co-60) was performed in cell culture NCTC Clone 929 from ATCC. The IC50% of resveratrol was about 50 M/L. The DL50 of gamma radiation showed a value of about 354 Gy. On the basis of these biological results, it was performed studies of radioprotective effect of resveratrol on the same experimental conditions, verifying that the resveratrol in concentrations between 12.5 M/L and 25 M/L showed a more pronounced radioprotective effect. (author)