Health Benefits of Polyphenols and Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Diseases

Table 1

Effects of some polyphenols on age-related eye diseases in human studies.

Polyphenols	Natural source/dose	Cell type/type of study	Effects on chronic eye diseases	Ref
Anthocyanins	Bilberry	Retinal pigment epithelial cells (AREP 19)	Mediate a detergent-like perturbation of cell membranes and light-induced damage to the cell; Inhibit AMD	[80]
EGCG	10, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 μM for 24 h	Human lens epithelial HLEB-3 cells	EGCG protects HLE cells from the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis (induced by H2O2 through the modulation of caspases, Bcl-2 family, and MAPK & Akt pathways); Cataract prevention	[92]
	3 months	Human patients/placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design; 34 patients: 18 ocular hypertension; 16 open-angle glaucoma	Neuroprotective function pattern-evoked electroretinograms increased in amplitude Favorable influence in inner retinal function in the eyes with early to moderately advanced glaucomatous damage	[94]	<0.01
	20 and 40 mM	Human RPE cell line ARPE-19	AMD and DR prevention; Inhibitor of ocular angiogenesis and its vascular permeability; Treatment and prevention of ocular angiogenic diseases: age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and corneal neovascularization	[95]
	20 and 40 mM	Human retinal vascular endothelial cell (HREC) (case of diabetes)	Inhibits the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); It ameliorated the negative effect of high glucose concentrations on the cell viability and apoptotic rate; The protective effects of EGCG under high-glucose conditions may be attributed to the regulation of inflammatory cytokines and inhibition of the MAPK/ERK-VEGF pathway	[96]	<0.01
Ginkgo biloba	40 mg GBE 2 times daily for 6 months	Human patients/experimental study, prospective, double blind	No significant changes were found in intraocular pressure and optic nerve head	[103]	>0.01
	Ginkgo biloba extract (40 mg, 3 times per day 4-week phases/8 weeks washout period)	Human patients/prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study	Changes in visual field and contrast sensitivity did not differ by treatment received or sequence	[104]	>0.2
	80 mg GBE 2 times daily	Human patients/retrospective study	Slowed the progression of visual field damage in patients with normal tension glaucoma	[105]
	80 mg GBE orally, twice a day for four weeks	Human patients/prospective, randomized, placebo study	Desirable effect on ocular blood flow in normal tension glaucoma patients	[106]
	40 mg, 3 times per day 4-week phases/8 weeks washout period/4 weeks of placebo treatment	Human patients/prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked crossover trial	Improves preexisting visual field damage in some patients with normal tension glaucoma	[107]
		Human patients/retrospective analysis	May be helpful in improving visual function in some individuals with NTG	[102]
	Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB761) and ginkgolide B	Retina explants; Three-dimensional tissue culture system	Protecting RGCs against apoptosis; It decreased cellular apoptosis and inhibited caspase-3 activation, suggesting that ginkgolide B can promote RGC axon growth by protecting RGCs against apoptosis	[109]
Quercetin	50 μM	Cultured human RPE cells	AMD prevention; It protects RPE cells from oxidative damage and cellular senescence in vitro in a dose-dependent manner; Prevention of early AMD	[113]	<0.001
	50 μM	Cultured human RPE cells (ARPE-19)	AMD prevention; It protects human RPE cells from oxidative stress in vitro, via inhibition of proinflammatory molecules & direct inhibition of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway	[114]
Resveratrol		Human lens epithelial cells	Cataract prevention; It protects LECs from oxidative stress via the inhibition of the p53 pathway	[118]
	5 and 10 mg/kg/day, 1 to 7 months	High-glucose culture Müller-treated cells	It is a therapeutic option to prevent diabetic retinopathy; RSV (10, 20, and 30 mmol/L) significantly inhibited the HG-induced decreases in glutamate uptake, GS activity, GLAST, and GS expression	[124]	<0.05
	Longevinex	Human patients; 3 clinical measures of visual function (Snellen visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and glare recovery to a cone photostress stimulus)	Efficacy against AMD	[125]