Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXV, Issue 2
Written by Ana-Maria RADOMIR
Gamma irradiation has various applications in the agricultural, medical and industrial fields. It is widely used as a method of microbial decontamination and for mutation breeding in plants. Particular emphasis is placed on the ability of gamma rays to stimulate cellular metabolism to synthesize medicinally valuable secondary metabolites. The aim of this paper is to review the published results on the effect of gamma irradiation on bioactive compounds of medicinal plants. Comparison of different studies showed that the effects observed after radiation exposure depended on several factors, such as species, radiation dose, sample type, sample state (solid or liquid, fresh or dry), extraction solvent and extraction method. Current findings are good indicators of the potential application of gamma irradiation to produce high quality raw materials to meet the requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industries.
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