Chrysanthemum extract has protective effects on light-damaged retinas, reducing oxidative stress and improving cellular viability.
The experiment incorporated both in-vitro and in-vivo tests. In the lab, ARPE-19 cells were divided into four groups (control, light-damaged, low-dose extract, high-dose extract), treated with varying levels of chrysanthemum extract, and then exposed to light. Cellular viability and reactive oxygen species production were then observed. A similar grouping approach was used with C57BL/6J mice, where chrysanthemum extract concentration was administered before light exposure. The retinas were evaluated for function, morphology, and apoptosis post-exposure.
Light-damage caused a decrease in cellular viability and an increase in reactive oxygen species production. However, treatment with chrysanthemum extract showed improvement in viability and reduction in reactive oxygen species. In mice, light damage caused dysfunction in the retinas, destruction of morphology and increased apoptosis, particularly in the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor layer. Again, chrysanthemum extract treatment improved retinal function, maintained retinal structures, and reduced apoptosis. The extract achieved this by increasing concentration of anti-oxidative enzymes.
