SH.F. HEMIDA*, K.N. ABD EL NOUR*, H.I. FARAG**, T.H. ABOU AIAD*, M. ALROUBY***
*Microwave Physics and Dielectrics Department, Physics Division National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.
**Nuclear Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
***Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University
Abstract. Ionizing radiation causes serious damage in biological system. Some drugs and antioxidants are used to prevent such damage. In the present study two doses of melatonin (10 mg/kg and 30mg/kg) were selected to be used for such purpose. This study was carried through UV absorption spectrum, ESR spectroscopy, dielectric measurements and relative viscosity. The data obtained indicate that there is some decrease in the absorbance of sort band, and in the absorption ratio A578 / A540. The intensity of ESR signal for hemoglobin extracted from animals exposed to γ-irradiation is greater as compared with normal hemoglobin. An increase in dielectric permittivity (ε’), the dielectric loss (ε”) and the a.c. conductivity (σac) while some decrease in the viscosity measurements are noticed after exposing to irradiation. The data obtained from the whole studied parameters after treating animals with melatonin become closer to those for unirradiated samples.
Key words: hemoglobin, γ-irradiation, antioxidant, dielectrics, ESR spectra, UV absorption spectra.