Flavonoids as effective agents for radioprotection

According to the major application of radiotherapy in the treatment and diagnosis of several diseases and even nuclear war, the protection of normal tissues and people at risk from the radiation is considerable. Presently, we do not have an ideal and safe radio protective agent and there is great effort to develop these agents from natural sources. Phenolic compounds, as well as flavonoid, are presented widely as the second metabolite in plants and have been considered for investigation according to their benefits for human health, healing and preventing many disorders. The main biologic properties of flavonoids include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-senescence, anti-bacterial and anti-viral, neuroprotection and radio protective effects. The little toxicity and edible usability have made flavonoids as an appropriate choice for radiotherapy patients, radiation, military forces, and even the general public. This review tries to provide a summary of the principal molecular mechanisms involved in flavonoid radio-protective effects. Data of these investigations will give a wide perspective to flavonoids and can help to optimize their effects in radioprotection procedures.