Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of irreversible loss of vision with 80–90% of patients demonstrating dry type AMD. Dry AMD could possibly be prevented by polyphenol-rich medicinal foods by the inhibition of N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E)-induced oxidative stress and cell damage. Arctium lappa L. (AL) leaves are medicinal and have antioxidant activity. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the protective effects of the extract of AL leaves (ALE) on dry AMD models, including in vitro A2E-induced damage in ARPE-19 cells, a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, and in vivo light-induced retinal damage in BALB/c mice. According to the total phenolic contents (TPCs), total flavonoid contents (TFCs) and antioxidant activities, ALE was rich in polyphenols and had antioxidant efficacies on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFDA) assays. The effects of ALE on A2E accumulation and A2E-induced cell death were also monitored. Despite continued exposure to A2E (10 μM), ALE attenuated A2E accumulation in APRE-19 cells with levels similar to lutein. A2E-induced cell death at high concentration (25 μM) was also suppressed by ALE by inhibiting the apoptotic signaling pathway. Furthermore, ALE could protect the outer nuclear layer (ONL) in the retina from light-induced AMD in BALB/c mice. In conclusion, ALE could be considered a potentially valuable medicinal food for dry AMD.
Highlights
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative visual disorder of the macula of the retina that affects the central vision of people aged 55 years and above in developed countries and is the leading cause of blindness
The extraction yield of Arctium lappa L. (AL) was calculated on the basis of the weight of freeze-dried AL leaves (Figure 1A)
The total phenolic contents (TPCs) and total flavonoid contents (TFCs) in AL leaves (ALE) were analyzed at different concentrations of ALE (Figure 1B,C)
Summary
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative visual disorder of the macula of the retina that affects the central vision of people aged 55 years and above in developed countries and is the leading cause of blindness. It occurs in about 8.7% people worldwide and is expected to increase. Molecules 2020, 25, 1737 epithelium (RPE) and the Bruch’s membrane Increasing symptoms gradually result in geographic atrophy (medium dry AMD), and vision decreases slowly over the years due to loss of RPE cells and photoreceptors. Since patients with dry AMD do not have any early symptoms, self-awareness and prevention constitute the best management
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