Insights & Discussion
The component pterostilbene, found naturally in blueberries, shows potential in preventing inflammation and oxidative stress on the human cornea, suggesting protection against dry eyes.
This research employed an in vitro culture model of human corneal epithelial cells, exposing these cells to a hyperosmotic medium. Gene expression was observed via RT-qPCR, while protein production or activity was found using methods including ELISA, zymography, Western blotting, and immunofluorescent staining. Reactive oxygen species' production was also monitored using a DCFDA kit. Pterostilbene was administered and its effects on the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and reactive oxygen species production were subsequently observed.
The results showed that in corneal cells exposed to hyperosmotic medium, the addition of pterostilbene resulted in a notable decrease in the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and suppressed overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, pterostilbene also showed a significant decrease in the levels of oxidative damage biomarkers; it was found to rebalance homeostasis between oxygenases and anti-oxidative enzymes, demonstrating that pterostilbene has potentially protective effects on the human cornea from inflammation and oxidative stress.
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The review reveals that nutritional supplements, particularly fish oils, vitamins, trace elements, and phytochemical extracts, show promising therapeutic potential for Dry Eye Disease management.
2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology Recommendations for nutritional supplements for dry eye disease: current advances Cong Y, Zhang Y, Han Y, Wu Y, Wang D, Zhang B
Systematic Review Dry Eye Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The methodology used in the research paper mainly focuses on evaluating different oral nutritional supplements with varied compositions and dosages, in order to assess their impact on Dry Eye Disease symptoms. These supplements include key components like fish oils, vitamins, trace elements, and extracts from plants, recognized for their potential nutritional value. Emphasizing the role of nutrition in combating ocular surface diseases, the research also emphasizes the imbalance caused by deficiencies in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin insufficiencies, which can lead to ocular issues such as inflammation and oxidative stress.
The results discussion outlines considerable benefits of using these supplements, not only for managing Dry Eye Disease symptoms but also potentially for overall ocular health. It was observed that nutrients in these supplements hold promising therapeutic qualities, presenting new perspectives for supplement combinations in Dry Eye Disease treatment. Beyond the well-known nutrients, it was suggested that exploring novel nutrients could help establish even more effective management strategies for Dry Eye Disease.
Greater intake of blueberries considerably decreases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, while a remarkable dietary intake of anthocyanins inversely correlates with cataract incidents.
2024 The Journal of Nutrition Intake of Blueberries, Anthocyanins, and Risk of Eye Disease in Women Sesso HD, Rautiainen S, Park SJ, Kim E, Lee IM, Glynn RJ, et al.
Cohort Study Age-Related Macular Degeneration Anthocyanins Blueberry
Middle-aged and older women, numbering 36,653 and 35,402 originally without cataract and AMD, provided data for the study via semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires. Insights were derived on the consumption of blueberries by these women, with frequency varied from none to over two servings weekly. Additionally, total anthocyanin consumption was analysed, with major subclasses adjusted for energy and then into quintiles. Self-reported risk factors for eye diseases were adjusted in the multivariable hazard ratios.
On analysis, it was found that a significant portion of participants consumed a minimum of one serving of blueberries weekly. Thus, compared to no blueberry intake, it was observed that those consuming the fruit exhibited a decrease in the total instances of AMD, while visually significant AMD remained unaffected. Furthermore, dietary anthocyanin showed a modest yet significant inverse association with cataract occurrences, but no notable correlation with AMD.
Blueberry consumption significantly improves two-back test accuracy, suggesting potential cognitive benefits.
2023 CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets The Potential Effect of Blueberry on Cognitive Health and Mood State based on Human Intervention Studies: Systematic Review and Mini Meta-Analysis Soveid N, Barkhidarian B, Moradi S, Gholami F, Rasaei N, Himmerich H, et al.
Meta-Analysis Blueberry Cognitive Function
Methodology: A comprehensive search was conducted in April 2021 for relevant clinical trials on blueberry supplementation and its effects on cognitive performance and mood. The search was conducted through PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar, and the random effect size was used to estimate the pooled effect size. Cochrane Q test and I-squared tests were used to evaluate heterogeneity between studies, and a subgroup analysis was done to detect potential sources of such heterogeneity. Fourteen randomized trials were included in the quantitative analysis, and six were pooled for statistical analysis.
Results: Blueberry intervention did not produce any significant impact on mood state score, attention task reaction time, or on the percentages of attention task accuracy. Similarly, it had no significant effect on one-back test accuracy. However, a noticeable positive effect was detected in two-back test accuracy, indicating possible cognitive benefits associated with blueberry consumption.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements can effectively alleviate symptoms of dry eye disease, especially when consumed in high doses for a long term and with high eicosapentaenoic acid levels.
2023 Journal of Clinical Medicine Efficacy of Omega-3 Intake in Managing Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Wang WX, Ko ML
Meta-Analysis Dry Eye Eicosapentaenoic Acid Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The methodology of this study involved an intensive review of data from multiple reliable sources like PubMed, Embase, and others covering the timespan from 2013 to 2023. The focus was on randomized clinical trials that studied the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on patients with dry eye disease and provided accessible pre- and post-intervention data. Studies with overlapping participants were excluded, as were studies without omega-3 supplementation or not featuring a placebo control or quantitative assessments. Independent reviewers extracted data pertaining to dry eye symptom scores and other related metrics.
The results showed that patients who were administered omega-3 treatment demonstrated considerable improvement in symptoms of dry eye disease compared to those on a placebo treatment. The meta-regression analysis deduced positive correlations between the daily dose of omega-3, duration of omega-3 intake, and percentage of eicosapentaenoic acid, with a reduction in dry eye symptom scores. Similar trends were observed with other dry eye related metrics. These findings provide substantial evidence on the beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in managing dry eye disease. However, due to the diversity in patient characteristics and the heterogeneity in study results, care should be taken in widely applying these findings.
The anthocyanins from the Gardenblue variety of blueberries exhibit strong antiproliferative effects on various cancer cells, especially liver cancer cells.
2023 Molecules The Extraction and High Antiproliferative Effect of Anthocyanin from Gardenblue Blueberry Zhao F, Wang J, Wang W, Lyu L, Wu W, Li W
Experimental Study Blueberry
65 varieties of blueberries were collected, focusing on their nutritional and functional values. Among these, the Gardenblue variety showed the highest anthocyanin content in fresh fruit. This content was further increased through the process of ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction and macroporous resin absorption, transforming it into a dried powder. Biological experiments were then conducted to determine the antiproliferative effects of Gardenblue anthocyanins on various cancer cell strains, such as cervical, liver, breast, and lung cells. Furthermore, these anthocyanins were combined with the chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin and doxorubicin, to assess any potential enhanced antiproliferative effects.
The research results confirmed that Gardenblue anthocyanins exert a substantial antiproliferative effect on multiple cancer cell types, particularly hepatoma or liver cancer cells. These anthocyanins displayed no evident toxic effects, as measured by the MTT assay, a laboratory colorimetric technique. Notably, the antiproliferative benefits were amplified when the anthocyanins were combined with doxorubicin, a treatment for liver cancer. Analysis suggests that the anthocyanins might induce cell apoptosis (cell death) by bonding with DNA in a manner that modifies or damages the DNA, thus preventing cell proliferation. This suggests potential application of Gardenblue anthocyanin extract as a functional agent against liver cancer cells.
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