Horseradish root extract and flavonoids protect human lymphocytes from DNA damage
What it found
In human lymphocytes, horseradish root extract and the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin reduced DNA damage caused by hydrogen peroxide.
The tests were done on cells in the lab, not in people.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Horseradish extract effect
A non-genotoxic concentration of horseradish root extract (0.0025 mg/mL) reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes from 78% to 35.75%.
Kaempferol effect
A non-genotoxic concentration of kaempferol (5 μg/mL) reduced DNA damage in human lymphocytes from 83.3% to 19.4%.
Quercetin effect
A non-genotoxic concentration of quercetin (5 μg/mL) reduced DNA damage in human lymphocytes from 83.3% to 16.2%.
Non-genotoxic concentrations
The extract at 0.0025, 0.025, and 0.25 mg/mL did not damage DNA, but higher concentrations (0.5 and 2.5 mg/mL) showed low genotoxic activity. Kaempferol from 5 to 100 μg/mL and quercetin from 5 to 25 μg/mL were non-genotoxic.
Other findings
Possible mechanism
The authors suggest the protective effect may be due to antioxidant activity, and that kaempferol and quercetin may work together.
What the authors conclude
“We conclude that AE, kaempferol and quercetin probably act as antimutagens.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the horseradish extract, kaempferol, and quercetin probably act as antimutagens.
- They say the molecular mechanisms behind this activity might be explained by their antioxidant properties.
- They state that naturally occurring plants and their components can prevent negative impacts on human lymphocytes and these results can be potentially useful for pharmacology and medicine.
How it was done
The authors wanted to find natural plant compounds that can protect human cells from DNA damage caused by harmful agents like hydrogen peroxide.
They took human lymphocytes from blood and treated them in the lab with horseradish root extract or the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin, then exposed them to hydrogen peroxide. DNA damage was measured using the comet assay.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab tests on human cells, not studies in people. They cannot show what happens when someone eats horseradish or takes these flavonoids as part of their diet.
- The study used cells taken out of the body and exposed to a chemical in a dish. It does not show whether the same protection would occur inside a living person.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Comenius University, Slovakia
The paper
- Title
- Extract from Armoracia rusticana and its flavonoid components protect human lymphocytes against oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Gafrikova M, Galova E, Sevcovicova A, Imreova P, Mucaji P, Miadokova E (2014). Extract from Armoracia rusticana and its flavonoid components protect human lymphocytes against oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/molecules19033160Free full textPubMed 24637991DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error