ALGINATE-CONTAINING BIOGEL FROM BROWN ALGAE AS A POTENTIAL HEALTH PREVENTION AGENT FOR TEST LABORATORY EMLOYEES

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of alginate-containing biogel as a health prevention agent for employees of test laboratories with chemical and biological occupational hazards. Methods: An experimental non-controlled study. The sample consisted of 43 healthy non-smoking volunteers aged 24-75 years who were examined before and after taking 30 gram of the food supplement «Laminal (biogel from algae)» during 4 weeks. Cells in smears of buccal epithelium stained with alizarin red C, used fluorescence microscopy were studied. We assessed cells differentiation degrees, cytochemical coefficients and quantified structural features of the nuclei and cytoplasm. Results: We observed stabilization of the cellular elements of buccal epithelium after the use of Laminal with no cytotoxic effects. The number of pathological epithelial cells significantly decreased (p < 0.001). The number of cells with signs of keratinization also decreased over the study period (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The studied food supplement "Laminal (seaweed biogel)" has a potential to mitigate occupational hazards on the oral epithelium among laboratory workers.