Pharmactive saffron extract may prevent glaucoma amid rising multigenerational eye health concerns

28 Jan 2020 --- AffronEYE saffron produced by Pharmactive Biotech could help prevent the onset of glaucoma, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness across the globe. This is the result of the company’s recent mice study, which found that the saffron extract’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties demonstrated an ability to protect retinal cells from damage and death, as well as reducing intraocular hypertension – a key aspect of glaucoma development. Eye health is becoming an increasing concern to younger generations due to increased exposure to screens and blue light.

“AffronEYE is a next-generation ingredient formulated specifically to address eye health. Our proprietary extraction process allows affronEYE to claim the lowest therapeutic dose available on the market at 20 mg per day and ensures absorption faster than other traditional carotenoids,” says Alberto Espinel, Head of R&D for Pharmactive.

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of RGCs, which sends visual signals to the brain. These cells, however, are not regenerative or replaceable. 

Crocus sativusPublished in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the study was the first to demonstrate the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of saffron extract in an experimental mouse model of ocular hypertension (OHT). The researchers took two groups of glaucoma-induced male Swiss albino mice, with one group receiving a single oral daily dose of affronEYE for seven days and the other group serving as a control. 

Administering saffron extract in OHT animals was shown to prevent retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) dying and decrease the morphological signs of microglial activation. It also prevents the down-regulation of P2RY12 expression, a chemoreactor monitoring neuronal functions and microglial neuroprotection.

“The study findings help us to define the mechanism of action of affronEYE and will facilitate the design of the clinical study,” Espinel tells NutritionInsight. The company plans on conducting a new clinical study in macular degeneration by the middle or end of 2020.

AffronEYE is all-natural, water-soluble and non-GMO. The ingredient also carries kosher, halal, and organic certifications. 

More applications for saffron
Different from its other company saffron products, affronEYE is standardized in different biomolecules. “For affronEYE, we standardized in crocins, the biomolecule that interests us for eye health,” he explains.

Saffron must be hand-picked to prevent the stigmas from wilting.Crocin – the compound responsible for the color of saffron – significantly increases the blood flow in the retina and choroid and can presumably improve oxygenation and the nutrient supply in retinal structures after an acute increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits, the study surmises. IOP is the principal modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. Likewise, the increase in IOP generates an immune response in the retina that induces the death of RGC and the onset of glaucoma. 

While commonly used as a culinary ingredient, saffron also holds potential in the nutraceutical market for alleviating anxiety, reducing asthma symptoms and boosting relaxation and sleep quality. Expanding its reach, Pharmactive launched Affron in the Asia-Pacific market last September and optimized its natural proprietary extraction process last October.

Consumers are unlikely to benefit from eating saffron as a food rather than as a supplement, Espinel outlines. “The amount of saffron, as with spices, must be substantial to reach the desired effects. It is dependent on a precise dosage, which can only be controlled when ingested in supplement form.”

All eyes on visual health
Technological advancements have made many aspects of modern life more convenient but have also brought certain negative consequences to deteriorated eyesight. 

“Blue light is not new, but our exposure to it has grown substantially over the past decade. That carries some immediate repercussions like eye fatigue and eye strain, which many consumers typically experience when sitting in front of a digital device for hours at a time,” Brian Appell, Marketing Manager at OmniActive, previously told NutritionInsight.

As a naturally-derived marigold extract, OmniActive’s Lutemax 2020 received a Food with Functional Claims approval in Japan last September, which affirms the extract improves eye health and visual performance to reduce eye fatigue and support sleep quality. Lutein and zeaxanthin may also help alleviate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressive eye disease and a major cause of vision loss among older Europeans.

By Anni Schleicher