Strix Forte®, an antioxidant mixture with bilberry anthocyanosides, reduces oxidative stress and immune activation in exfoliation syndrome and exfoliative glaucoma

Background: To evaluate the quantity of oxidative stress (OS), immune activation (IA) and exfoliation material before and after four months daily ingestion of Strix® Forte in exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliative glaucoma (XFG). Methods: 15 XFS, 15 XFG and 15 control patients ingested one Strix® Forte tablet twice daily during four months containing 74mg bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) anthocyanosides, 6mg lutein, 15mg zinc sulphate, 10mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate, 800µg retinyl acetate and 50µg selenomethionine. Exfoliation material quantity (EmQ), scale 0–3, was also examined. Plasma concentrations of isoprostanes, malondialdehyde, carbonyl proteins and oxidized albumin were measured as markers for OS. Neopterin and kynurenine/tryptophan ratio were measured as markers for IA. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests were used for statistical analyses. Results: EmQ was significantly reduced after four months in both XFS and XFG group (XFS: P=0.007 for right and 0.003 for left eyes, XFG: P=014 for right and 0.005 for left eyes. Isoprostanes were reduced in XFS group (P=0.001) and in controls (P=0.009), but not in XFG group (P=0.191). Malondialdehyde levels were not diminished in any groups. Carbonyl proteins were reduced in all groups: [XFS (P=0.002), XFG (P=0.001), controls (P=0.015)]. Oxidized albumin diminished in all groups [XFS (P=0.003), XFG (P=0.005), controls (P=0.001)]. Neopterin levels were slightly increased in the XFG group (P=0.020) and tryptophan levels were slightly elevated in the XFS group (P=0.047). Kynurenine levels decreased in the XFG group (P=0.012) and in controls (P=0.008). Kynurenine/tryptophan levels decreased in all three groups [XFS (P=0.006), XFG (P=0.003), controls (P=0.006)]. Conclusion: Regular Strix® Forte ingestion reduced besides OS and IA also EmQ in XFS and XFG patients which may be explained by the observed beneficial alterations in the OS and IA markers.

Acknowledgements: Research supported by Ferrosan A/S, Sjøborg, Denmark

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