Porphyridium cruentum is a red monocellular micro­alga that secretes hydrosoluble polysaccharides and con­tains intracellular carotenoids [18]. It has received atten­tion because of its high content of polysaccharides, fatty acids and carotenoids. It’s inhibitory activity on replica­tion in vitro of viruses of economical importance such as African swine fever virus (ASFV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) has been reported before [11]. The aqueous form of PC significantly inhibited replication of both viruses in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. It has been suggested that this inhibition may be due to sulfate polysaccharides or sulfolipids [11-13,19].

      The antioxidant effect of βC has been attributed to its capacity to form carbon-centered radicals by inactivating the peroxyl radicals and to its irreversible reaction with oxygen atoms. The protective effects of vitamins C and E and βC on DNA damage have been investigated in bone marrow and epithelial tissues of mice subjected to gamma-irradiation [8,9,15].

      In our study, βC and PC prevented some of the chro­mosomal damage in PBL cultures treated with Mit-C. The chromosomal breakages and aberrations induced by Mit-C in this study could be a measure of individual sensitivity to environmental carcinogens. Of 153 metaphases cultured without Mit-C, only 1.9% had chromosomal abnormalities, compared to cultures treated with Mit-C which was signif­icantly higher at 7.8% (p <0.05). We found that the combi­nation of βC and PC reduced the effect of Mit-C and reduced the incidence of chromosome aberrations from 7.8% to 1.3% (p <0.05). The PC and βC combination was more effective than when these substances were used sepa­rately.

      In conclusion, our study shows for the first time that a combination of PC and βC significantly reduces the Mit-C-induced chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes of workers exposed to low dose radiation. Prospective clini­cal trials should be conducted to determine if βC and PC administration prevents the development of chromosome abnormalities in workers exposed to low dose radiation.