• KSBB Journal
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2015

Radiation causes various pathophysiological alterations in living animals, and it causes death at high doses by multiple mechanisms, including direct DNA damage and indirect oxidative stress. The search for useful radioprotectors has been an important issue in the field of radiation biology. Ideal radioprotectors should have low toxicity and an extended window of protection. As many synthetic compounds have toxic side effects, the natural products have attracted scientific attention as radioprotectors. Natural products that have been recently shown to be effective with various biological activities were found to have radioprotective effect. The aim of this review is to summary the recent research of the radioprotective effects of natural foods, especially focused on the glycobiological properties of mushrooms.