## 1 Introduction  
The term ionising radiation refers to electromagnetic and particle radiation that is powerful enough to ionise atoms or molecules. For this reason, when passing through living tissues, a certain degree of damage may be produced. Both the well-known direct and indirect effects of ionising radiation cause this damage. The indirect impact is mainly responsible for the formation of reactive free radicals through the radiolysis of water, which react with macromolecules like DNA, proteins, and membranes so that they eventually induce cell damage or even dysfunction and death [1, 2]. Since DNA is considered the primary target for ionising radiation damage, special attention has been paid to the effects on this molecule. If endogenous defence systems cannot effectively repair DNA lesions, this leads to genome instability and chromosome abnormalities. Radiation-induced genome aberrations play an important role in carcinogenesis caused by radiation. Concerning radiation damage to humans, it is crucial to protect biological systems from radiation-induced damage [3]. To protect organisms from cellular and molecular damage during irradiation, radioprotectors agents act predominantly by enhancing antioxidant defence mechanisms by scavenging free radicals [2]. It has been suggested that administering radioprotective agents might lower radiation's harmful effects on cells. Antioxidants have the potential to function as radioprotectors by preventing the propagation of chain reactions initiated by free radicals and thus reducing certain DNA damage caused by ionising radiation [4]. Many natural and synthetic compounds have been examined in the recent past as radioprotector agents. However, some synthetic agents' inherent toxicity at radioprotective concentrations warrant further search for safer and more effective compounds [5]. Nowadays, attention is focused on natural compounds with a lower toxicity, more favourable administration routes, and improved pharmacokinetics than synthetic radioprotectors [6]. The genotoxic effects of natural compounds may be evaluated by using biomarkers. The sister chromatid exchange (SCE) test permits assessing the consequences of direct DNA damage. This assay also provides information on the genome's instability when exposed to potentially genotoxic substances. [7]. The mitotic index (MI) reflects the frequency of cell division, and is a reliable parameter to identify induced cytotoxicity [8]. For the analysis of proliferation kinetic index data (PI), the proportion of cells in the first, second, and third division in cell treatment cultures is commonly used [9]. As a result of their low toxicity and minimum adverse effects at the effective dosage, fruits or plants with antioxidant properties have been considered as an appropriate source of radioprotector agents [10]. The radioprotective effects of various phytochemicals such as resveratrol [11], chlorogenic and quinic acids [12], and phenolic compounds [2] have already been analysed. Additionally, some studies have assessed the radioprotective effects of extracts, for example, the ethanolic extract of propolisis [13] and phenolic extracts of fruits [14]. The radioprotective efficiency of fruits is generally tested based on the reduction in ionising radiation damage on the peripheral blood lymphocytes as in vitro models. Enzymatic incorrect repair of ionising-radiation-induced DNA damage can result in large-scale rearrangements of the genome, such as translocations and dicentrics. Cell death, mutation, and neoplasia are just a few examples of the major phenotypic changes that these and other chromosomal exchange abnormalities may bring about. Radiation-induced chromosome aberrations (CAs) in lymphocytes are considered the most sensitive biological technique for measuring radiation exposure at doses over 0.1 Gy if an adequate number of metaphases are analysed [15]. Strawberries (_Fragaria \(\times\) ananassa_) and kiwifruits (_Actinidia_ sp.) have been thoroughly investigated for their health benefits [16].