Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation
Published on: July 3, 2015
In vitro Protective Effect of Rutin and Quercetin against Radiation-induced Genetic Damage in Human Lymphocytes
Shrikant L Patil1, K Swaroop2, Nilesh Kakde3
1Department of Physiology, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Purpose Of The Study:
Rutin (RUT) and quercetin (QRT) which are dietary compounds were investigated for their ability to protect against ionizing radiation (IR)-induced genotoxicity in human lymphocytes.
Materials And Methods:
The radiation antagonistic potential of RUT and QRT was assessed by alkaline comet and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay.
Results:
Treatment of lymphocytes with RUT and QRT (25 μg/ml) prior exposure to 2 Gy gamma radiation resulted in a significant reduction of frequency of micronuclei as compared to the control set of cells evaluated by CBMN assay. Similarly, treatment of lymphocytes with RUT and QRT before radiation exposure showed significant decrease in the DNA damage as assessed by comet parameters, such as percent tail DNA and olive tail moment.
Conclusion:
The study demonstrates the protective effect of RUT and QRT against IR-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes, which may be partly attributed to scavenging of IR-induced free radicals and also by the inhibition of IR-induced oxidative stress.
Related Concept Videos
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Mutations
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Other Unique Bacteria
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...

