ORIGINAL ARTICLE   Free access

Minerva Oftalmologica 2017 June;59(2):38-41

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4903.17.01775-5

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The effect of oral supplementation with standardized bilberry extract (Mirtoselect®) on retino-cortical bioelectrical activity in severe diabetic retinopathy

Fabio MAZZOLANI ¹, Stefano TOGNI ², Federico FRANCESCHI ², Roberto EGGENHOFFNER ³, Luca GIACOMELLI ³ ✉

¹ Private Practitioner, Milan, Italy; ² Indena SpA, Milan, Italy; ³ Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that affects the microcirculation of the eye. DM patients with or without signs of retinopathy showed a significant reduction in amplitude and latency of their retino-cortical bioelectrical activity assessed by the Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) Test. Here, we aim at investigating the effects of an oral supplementation of standardized bilberry extract (Mirtoselect®) on VEP parameters of DM patients.
METHODS: Nine patients affected by type 2, non-insulin DM associated with severe preproliferative retinopathy were enrolled in this preliminary, supplement study. A pattern-reversal VEP analysis was performed at baseline and after 1-month oral supplementation with 320 mg/day of bilberry extract standardized to 36% anthocyanins (Mirtoselect®).
RESULTS: P100 amplitude and waveform in 4 patients (44.4% of all patients) improved following 1-month oral supplementation. In these subgroup of patients we observed an overall normalization of the VEP response to visual stimuli.
CONCLUSIONS: Dietary supplementation with standardized bilberry extract (Mirtoselect®) represents an alternative strategy to support eye health and control or prevent the worsening of retinopathy symptoms in DM patients.

KEY WORDS: Diabetic retinopathy - Vaccinium myrtillus - Evoked potentials, visual - Electrophysiology - Dietary supplements