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We performed this study to determine the effect of Korean favorite teas (green tea, ginseng tea, coffee, and barley tea) on jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells of mice irradiated with high and low dose of γ-radiation. Jejunal crypts were protected by pretreatment of green tea (P.O.: 1.25 % water extract, for 7 days before irradiation., I.P.: 50 mg/kg of body weight, at 12 and 36 hours before irradiation, p<0.01) or ginseng (I.P.:50mg/kg of body weight, at 12 and 36 hours before irradiation, p<0.05). Green tea (p<0.05) or ginseng (p<0.05) administration before irradiation (I.P. at 12 and 36 hours before irradiation) resulted in an increase of the formation of endogenous spleen colony. The frequency of radiation-induced apoptosis was also reduced by pretreatment of green tea (P.O.: p<0.005, I.P:p<0.05), pretreatment of ginseng (P.O.: p<0.005, I.P.: p<0.005) or post-treatment of ginseng (I.P.: 50mg/kg of body weight, at 30 minutes after irradiation, p<0.05). Treatment with coffee or barley tea showed no significant modifying effects on the radiation-induced damages. These results indicated that green tea and ginseng might be a useful radioprotector, especially since it is a relatively nontoxic natural product. Further studies are needed to characterize better the promotion nature of green tea, ginseng and its components.
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