Radioprotective Effects and Mechanisms of One-Year and Seven-Year White Tea Extracts Against <sup>137</sup>Cs Radiation-Induced Cell Damage

Ionizing radiation (IR) is widely present in the environment, with <sup>137</sup>Cesium (Cs) radiation having particularly severe impacts during nuclear accidents. The objective of our study was to assess the radiation protection or repair effect of one year (WT-1Y) or seven years (WT-7Y...

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Main Authors: Chen Xia, Meisheng Cai, Yanting Lu, Bingkui Wang, Linglin Xu, Kaixi Wang, Zhonghua Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/7/1448
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Summary:Ionizing radiation (IR) is widely present in the environment, with <sup>137</sup>Cesium (Cs) radiation having particularly severe impacts during nuclear accidents. The objective of our study was to assess the radiation protection or repair effect of one year (WT-1Y) or seven years (WT-7Y) of storage on white teas, as well as to investigate the mechanism of radioprotection. HGC-27 cells exposed to <sup>137</sup>Cs γ-rays (30 Gy) exhibited significant changes in cell structure, apoptosis, ROS, LDH, and their expression of p53 and Caspase-3. The results showed that WT-1Y and WT-7Y acted as antioxidants, showed reduced ROS and LDH levels, and had increased CAT and SOD activities as well as cell survival rate. The WT treatments significantly inhibited apoptosis in both the pre- and post-radiation groups, with WT-1 showing stronger effects in pretreatment by reducing LDH, p53, and Caspase-3 levels and enhancing ROS scavenging and enzyme activities. Post-treatment analysis revealed WT-7 had greater effects on cell viability and SOD activity. Overall, both WT-1 and WT-7 mitigated radiation damage, likely by inhibiting the p53/Caspase-3 apoptosis pathway. A Spearman analysis of the differential metabolites in WT-1Y and WT-7Y with cellular radioprotective indicators revealed that metabolites, such as EGC, procyanidin B4, and phenolic acids (abundant in WT-1Y), quercetin-3-glucosylrutinoside, and caffeine (enriched in WT-7Y) contributed to their distinct effects in the pre- and post-treatment of <sup>137</sup>Cs γ-rays.
ISSN:1420-3049