Radioprotection by mangiferin in DBAxC₅₇BL mice: A preliminary study

The radioprotective effects of various concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 17.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg b.wt.) of mangiferin (MGN) was studied in the DBAxC₅₇BL mice whole body exposed to 10 Gy of γ-irradiation. Treatment of mice with different doses of MGN, one hour before irradiation reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness and delayed the onset of mortality when compared with the non-drug treated irradiated controls. The radioprotective action of MGN increased in a dose dependent manner up to 2 mg/kg and declined thereafter. The highest radioprotective effect was observed at 2 mg/kg MGN, where greatest number of animals survived against the radiation-induced mortality. The administration of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 17.5 mg/kg MGN reduced the radiation-induced gastrointestinal death as evident by a greater number of survivors up to 10 days in this group when compared with the DDW+10 Gy irradiation group. A similar effect of MGN was observed for the radiation-induced bone marrow deaths also. Our study demonstrates that mangiferin, a gluosylxanthone, present in the Mangifera indica protected mice against the radiation-induced sickness and mortality and the optimum protective dose of 2 mg/kg was 1/200 of LD₅₀ dose (400 mg/kg) of MGN. The administration of 400 mg/kg MGN induced 50% mortality, therefore LD₅₀ of the drug was considered to be 400 mg/kg.