Hibiscus relative's flower extract shields eye cells from blue light
Medicinal Plants
The showy yellow-flowered mallow relative some gardeners grow as an ornamental turns out to pack antioxidant compounds that scientists are now testing against the kind of light damage your phone screen and LED bulbs might be doing to your eyes.
Researchers took extract from the flowers of Abelmoschus manihot, a plant related to okra and hibiscus, and used it to protect eye cells from damage caused by blue light, the kind that comes from LED screens and lighting. In both mice and lab-grown retinal cells, the flower extract reduced cell death and oxidative damage by switching on the cell's own antioxidant defense system. It's an early sign that a garden flower's chemistry could one day inform treatments for light-related eye damage.
Key Findings
AME pretreatment preserved photoreceptor layer structure and reduced 8-OHdG (an oxidative DNA damage marker) in blue-light-exposed retinas
In 661W retinal cells, AME increased cell viability, reduced apoptosis, and lowered reactive oxygen species production
AME activated the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway by boosting its expression and promoting nuclear translocation
chevron_right Technical Summary
An extract from Abelmoschus manihot flowers, a plant known for its antioxidant-rich blooms, protected retinal cells in mice and lab-grown cells from damage caused by blue light exposure, pointing to a possible future ingredient for eye-protective treatments.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Protective effects of <i>Abelmoschus manihot</i> flower extracts against blue light-emitting diode light-induced retinal photoreceptor cell damage <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i>.
BACKGROUND: flower extract (AME), rich in flavonoids, possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, its protective effects on the retina have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: ...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Abelmoschus manihot, commonly known as aibika, is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is also known as the sunset muskmallow, sunset hibiscus, or hibiscus manihot. It is a tropical subshrub or shrub native to Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland, Australia. It is cultivated and eaten as a l...