A focus on resveratrol and ocular problems, especially cataract: From chemistry to medical uses and clinical relevance.

Low vision and blindness are important health problems that affect millions of people throughout the world. The most common and important pathologies are diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma as well as cataracts. The latter consists of an opacification of the lens of the eye which impedes the passage of light and represents one of the most important causes of vision loss. Among the risk factors for cataract development, there are life-style factors such as the use of tobacco, abuse of alcohol and unhealthy diet. In light of this, dietary components that possess anti-oxidant activity, such as polyphenols for instance, can be considered good candidates for human studies in the prevention and or treatment of such diseases. Among dietary components, the antioxidant capacity of certain polyphenols is well known, and these could be good candidates. In this review we focus our attention on the current scientific literature regarding to the effects of resveratrol on cataracts and other ocular diseases, along with its potential mechanism/s of action. A large number of preclinical studies support the involvement of resveratrol in clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of eye diseases induced by oxidative stress and inflammation, such as age-related cataract.

Zeaxanthin and ocular health, from bench to bedside.

Cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration are known as major ocular problems which cause blindness among the elderly population worldwide. Oxidative stress plays an important role in both the initiation and progression of ocular problems and with respect to this; dietary antioxidants can serve as a therapeutic strategy for the improvement of ocular health. Zeaxanthin is known as one of the most important and common xanthophyll carotenoids, possessing multiple therapeutic effects such as strong antioxidant and pro-oxidant behaviour as well as anti-inflammatory effects. A growing body of literature shows that zeaxanthin mitigates ocular problems and suppresses oxidative stress in the retinal tissues. This paper aims to critically review the available literature regarding the beneficial effects of zeaxanthin on ocular problems with emphasis on its chemistry, bioavailability, and sources.