Radioprotective effects of miso (fermented soy bean paste) against radiation in B6C3F1 mice: increased small intestinal crypt survival, crypt lengths and prolongation of average time to death.
The radioprotective effect of miso, a fermentation product from soy bean, was investigated with reference to the survival time, crypt survival and jejunum crypt length in male B6C3F1 mice. Miso at three different fermentation stages (early-, medium- and long-term fermented miso) was mixed in MF diet into biscuits at 10% and was administered from 1 week before irradiation. Animal survival in the long-term fermented miso group was significantly prolonged as compared with the short-term fermented miso and MF cases after 8 Gy of 60Co-gamma-ray irradiation at a dose rate of 2Gy min(-1). Delay in mortality was evident in all three miso groups, with significantly increased survival. At doses of 10 and 12 Gy X-irradiation at a dose rate of 4 Gy min(-1), the treatment with long-term fermented miso significantly increased crypt survival. Also the protective influence against irradiation in terms of crypt lengths in the long-term fermented miso group was significantly greater than in the short-term or medium-term fermented miso and MF diet groups. Thus, prolonged fermentation appears to be very important for protection against radiation effects.
Ohara
M
M
Department of Environment and Mutation, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Japan.
Lu
H
H
Shiraki
K
K
Ishimura
Y
Y
Uesaka
T
T
Katoh
O
O
Watanabe
H
H
D000818:Animals; D005285:Fermentation; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013025:Glycine max
D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents