The human body is exposed to natural sources of ionizing radiation
including cosmic rays, radionuclides disposed on the Earth's crust, air, water, and food.
In addition, man-made radiation sources for military and civil purposes such as the use
of radiation in health care, medical procedures in the diagnosis and treatment of
diseases, scientific researches, and energy production can contribute to the increased
exposure and may affect the human cells. Many derivatives of plant extracts or
genetically modified plants have been employed as radiomodifiers as they are
compounds that can modify the biological response to the damage induced by the
radiation. On the other hand, radiomodulators can be used for varied medical
applications such as radioprotection and radiosensitization of tumor cells. This chapter
aims to identify, analyze, and synthesize results of independent studies through an
integrative review, which evaluated the protective effects of plant metabolites on cell
injury caused by radiation therapy against cancer and high doses of radiation exposure.
Keywords: DNA damage, Ionizing radiation, Lipid peroxidation, Natural products, Plant extracts, Plant families, Radiomodifiers, Radioprotection, Secondary metabolite.
