Abstract
Oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the initiation and progression of age-related ocular abnormalities as cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. Therefore, phytochemicals with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, such as carotenoids and polyphenols, could be of benefit in these diseases. We searched PubMed and Web of Science databases for original studies investigating the benefits of different carotenoids and polyphenols in age-related ophthalmic diseases. Our results showed that several polyphenols (such as anthocyanins, Ginkgo biloba, quercetin, and resveratrol) and carotenoids (such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and mezoxanthin) have shown significant preventive and therapeutic benefits against the aforementioned conditions. The involved mechanisms in these findings include mitigating the production of reactive oxygen species, inhibiting the tumor necrosis factor-α and vascular endothelial growth factor pathways, suppressing p53-dependent apoptosis, and suppressing the production of inflammatory markers, such as interleukin- (IL-) 8, IL-6, IL-1a, and endothelial leucocyte adhesion molecule-1. Consumption of products containing these phytochemicals may be protective against these diseases; however, adequate human data are lacking. This review discusses the role and mechanisms of polyphenols and carotenoids and their possible synergistic effects on the prevention and treatment of age-related eye diseases that are induced or augmented by oxidative stress and inflammation.
Highlights
Age-related ophthalmic diseases as cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are the main causes of progressive and irreversible vision loss worldwide [1,2,3]
Polyphenols represent a broad group of phytochemicals with over 10000 different compounds [50], many of which have proven health benefits: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects [51, 52]
There are recent studies describing new findings regarding the beneficial effect of polyphenol consumption on ocular health [55]
Summary
Age-related ophthalmic diseases as cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are the main causes of progressive and irreversible vision loss worldwide [1,2,3]. The pathogenic processes of these diseases are complex and unclear and sometimes depend on numerous factors Most of these conditions are diagnosed in advanced stages at which effective treatments are not available [5]. As a result, both the improvement of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and the prevention of age-related eye diseases have become global health priorities. These beneficial effects have been attributed to the presence of some phytochemical compounds with bioactive properties, such as polyphenols and carotenoids [6, 10]
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