Various substances possessing radiation scavenging properties, known as radioprotectors, play a crucial role in shielding organisms from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation (IR) by preventing cellular damage caused by free radicals. Initially, synthetic radioprotectors were developed using thiol synthetic compounds. However, among these, only amifostine (WR-2721) underwent clinical testing as a radioprotector. Various composites with different chemical structures other than thiol compounds were also investigated. However, synthetic radioprotectors are known to be associated with severe side effects, which lead to an inclination towards natural substances. Plants and natural products have emerged as promising sources of radioprotectors, renowned for their non-toxic nature across a broad range of doses and their cost-effectiveness. Radioprotectors are employed in diverse pharmaceutical approaches to mitigate the toxicities induced by radiation. The present review encompasses a detailed account of various synthetic and naturally occurring compounds possessing radioprotective properties, and different investigations related to their radioprotective action, ranging from free radicals scavenging to gene therapy, have also been precisely covered. Numerous radioprotectors have different mechanisms of action, and have proven benefits of naturally occurring compounds over chemically synthesized ones.

中文翻译：

---

合成和天然放射防护剂：近期现状及其潜在作用机制


各种具有辐射清除特性的物质，称为放射保护剂，通过防止自由基引起的细胞损伤，在保护生物体免受电离辐射 （IR） 的有害影响方面发挥着至关重要的作用。最初，合成放射防护剂是使用巯基合成化合物开发的。然而，其中只有氨磷汀 （WR-2721） 作为放射防护剂进行了临床测试。还研究了除巯基化合物外具有不同化学结构的各种复合材料。然而，众所周知，合成放射防护剂与严重的副作用有关，这会导致人们倾向于使用天然物质。植物和天然产物已成为有前途的放射防护剂来源，以其在广泛剂量范围内的无毒特性和成本效益而闻名。放射保护剂用于多种药物方法，以减轻辐射引起的毒性。本综述包括对具有辐射防护特性的各种合成和天然存在的化合物的详细描述，并且还精确涵盖了与它们的辐射防护作用相关的不同研究，从自由基清除到基因治疗。许多放射保护剂具有不同的作用机制，并且已证明天然存在的化合物优于化学合成的化合物。