Abstract
Cancer remains one of the most significant global health challenges, and radiotherapy continues to be one of the
most effective treatment options. However, Patients are also exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation during
diagnostic procedures such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These
exposures can induce various cellular and molecular defects in the human body. Therefore, there is an urgent
need to develop safer and more reliable radioprotective agents to minimize radiation-induced damage. This
review was prepared using selected keywords searched across major scientific databases, including Google
Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus, covering publications from the inception of each database up to
October 14, 2025. This review highlights plant-derived radioprotective agents that exhibit antioxidant, antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, DNA repair-enhancing, and metal-chelating actions. It outlines the key
molecular pathways involved, such as antioxidant defense, DNA repair regulation, and ROS scavenging, and
briefly compares natural compounds with conventional pharmaceutical radioprotectors. Radioprotective
agents offer several advantages in both oncotherapy and diagnostic applications. However, many synthetic
radioprotectors are associated with limitations such as high cost, short duration of action, toxicity, and adverse
effects on the central nervous system. In contrast, natural radioprotectors derived from plants have shown the
potential to safeguard normal cells from radiation induced damage more effectively and safely than their
synthetic counterparts. This review aims to identify safer and more effective radioprotective agents for use by
oncologists and radiation biologists.
Keywords: Radioprotective Agents, Natural Antioxidants, Radiation-Induced Damage, Cancer Radiotherapy,
Molecular Radioprotection
