Supplement enriched in antioxidants protects the retina from light-induced damage

Purpose To evaluate the effect of the dietary supplement Nutrof-Total, enriched in antioxidants and fish oil, on retinal fatty acid composition and its potential neuroprotective effect. Methods Six-7 weeks old Sprague Dawley rats were not treated or administrated orally daily with 0,2 ml of water or Nutrof-Total for a period of 10 days. Then, they were sacrificed for fatty acid analysis on plasmas and retinas or they were exposed to bright cyclic light for one week. At the end of light exposure, electroretinograms are recorded and animal are sacrificed for histologic analysis and apoptotic cells detection. Results One week of Nutrof-Total treatment induced a significant increase of EPA, DPA and DHA in the plasma to respectively 163%, 133% and 19%. In the retina, there is also a significant increase of EPA and DPA but not of DHA and LNA is significantly decreased. In parallel, there is a reduced level of omega-6 fatty acid in plasma and retina. In untreated animal, bright-cyclic light induced a reduction of the ONL thickness, an increased in apoptotic cells leading to a reduction of retinal function. Animals treated with Nutrof-total for 10 days before and during the bright cyclic light have a preserved retinal structure, a reduced number of apoptotic cells and a preserved retinal function. Conclusion Nutrof-Total can protect the retina from light-induced retinal damage. Nutrof-Total may be beneficial in preventing the toxic effect of light on the retina. Commercial interest