Radioprotective effect of nanoniosome loaded by Mentha Pulegium essential oil on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to ionizing radiation

Abstract

Objective

The present study aimed to assess the radioprotective effect of nanoniosomes loaded by Mentha Pulegium essential oil (MPEO-N nanoparticles) as a natural antioxidant on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Significance

Despite the applications and advantages of ionizing radiation, there are many radiation risks to biological systems that are necessary to be reduced as much as possible.

Methods

MPEO-N nanoparticles were prepared by the lipid thin film hydration method, and its physicochemical characteristics were analyzed. PBMCs were then irradiated with X-ray using a 6 MV linear accelerator at two radiation doses in the presence of nontoxic concentrations of MPEO-N nanoparticles (IC10). After 48 and 72 h of incubation, the radioprotective effect was investigated by measuring survival, apoptosis, and necrosis of PBMCs, using MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis.

Key findings

The hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of nanoniosomes were 106.0 ± 4.69 nm and −15.2 ± 0.9 mV, respectively. The mean survival percentage of PBMCs showed a significant increase only at a radiation dose of 200 cGy compared with the control group. The percentages of apoptosis and necrosis of cells in the presence of MPEO-N nanoparticles at both radiation doses and incubation periods (48 and 72 h) demonstrated a significant reduction compared with the control.

Conclusion

MPEO-N nanoparticles as a natural antioxidant, exhibited a favorable radioprotective effect by a significant reduction in the percentage of apoptosis and necrosis of irradiated PBMCs.

Keywords:

• Ionizing radiation
• radiation protection
• mentha pulegium
• nanoparticles
• apoptosis and necrosis
• niosomes

Ethical approval

The experimental procedures of the present research study were confirmed by the Ethics Committee of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd (IR.SSU.MEDICINE.REC.1398.326).

Author contributions

Nima Hamzian designed and managed the study and edited the manuscript and Abolfazl Nickfarjam helped him. Ali Shams designed in vitro tests. Fatemeh Haghiralsadat assisted in extract the essential oil. Moslem Najmi-Nezhad obtained ethical approval, synthesized nanoparticles, isolated and cultured target cells, irradiated them, collected data and wrote first version of the manuscript. All the authors read, modified, and approved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during current study are available from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.