Abstract:Objective To evaluate the radiation-protective effect of Rhodiola crenulata on BALB/c mice. Methods Sixty BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were divided by random number table method into a normal control group, an irradiation control group, a Rhodiola crenulata ethanol extract group, a total flavonoids group, and other constituents group, respectively. Radiation-damaged mouse model was established by single irradiation of 3.5 Gy 60Co γ-rays. After irradiation different extracts of Rhodiola crenulata were administered intragastrically for 7 consecutive days. The activity indexes including body weight and peripheral hemogram were detected on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th and 16th day after irradiation. Results Compared to the irradiation control group, the peripheral blood WBC count, RBC count, HGB content and PLT count of the irradiated mice were increased greatly by the Rhodiola crenulata ethanol extract, the Rhodiola crenulata’s total flavonoids and the Rhodiola crenulata’s other constituents (P < 0.05). The effect of increasing peripheral blood RBC count and HGB content in the Rhodiola crenulata ethanol extract group and other constituents group was obviously weaker than that in the total flavonoids group (P < 0.05). Besides, different extracts of Rhodiola crenulata had no obvious effect on the body weight of irradiated mice (P > 0.05). Conclusions Probably, the total flavonoids are the radiation-protective constituents of Rhodiola crenulata .