Radioprotective effects of naringenin, quercetin, and hesperidin against radiation-induced oxidative damage: an evaluation of carbonic anhydrase and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity

Abstract Radiotherapy generates high levels of reactive oxygen species, leading to oxidative damage in sensitive tissues. Food-derived flavonoids, such as naringenin (Nar), quercetin (Que), and hesperidin (Hes), are widely recognised for their potent antioxidant activity and are frequently incorporated into functional foods and nutraceutical formulations. Understanding their protective effects under extreme oxidative conditions is essential for evaluating their biological relevance in food science and health-oriented product development. This study investigated the ability of these dietary flavonoids to modulate carbonic anhydrase (CA) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in rat brain and eye tissues exposed to ionising radiation. Sixty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 10 groups comprising: radiation-only (10, 12, and 15 Gy), flavonoid-only (Nar, Que, and Hes), and flavonoid pretreatment groups subsequently exposed to 15 Gy irradiation. Enzyme activities were determined spectrophotometrically, and data were analysed using one-way ANOVA and followed by Duncan’s multiple comparison test (p < .05). Radiation exposure induced a dose-dependent decrease in brain CA and AChE activities compared with the control group, while no statistically significant alterations were detected in eye tissue (p > .05). Pretreatment with food-origin flavonoids partially preserved enzyme activities in brain tissue, suggesting a protective role against radiation-induced oxidative dysfunction. These findings suggest that dietary flavonoids may contribute to the modulation of radiation-associated enzymatic alterations and support their potential application in functional foods and nutraceutical strategies aimed at mitigating oxidative stress-related neural impairment.