From the Sea for the Sight: Marine Derived Products for Human Vision

Abstract

Visual impairment, at different degrees, produce a reduction of patient wellness which negatively impact in many aspects of working and social activities. Eye diseases can have common cellular damages or dysfunctions (e.g., inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal degeneration), and can target several eye compartments, primarily cornea and retina. Marine organisms exhibit high chemical diversity due to the wide range of marine ecosystems where they live; thus, molecules of marine origin are gaining increasing attention for the development of new mutation-independent therapeutic strategies, to reduce the progression of retina pathologies having a multifactorial nature and characterized by high genetic heterogeneity. This review aims to describe marine natural products reported in the recent literature that showed promising therapeutic potential for the development of new drugs to be used to contrast the progression of eye pathologies. These natural compounds exhibited beneficial and protective properties on different in vitro cell systems and on in vivo models, through different mechanisms of action, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiangiogenic/vasoprotective or cytoprotective effects. We report compounds produced by several marine source (e.g., sponges, algae, shrimps) that can be administrated as food or with target-specific strategies. In addition, we describe and discuss the uses of opsin family proteins from marine organisms for the optimization of new optogenetic therapeutic strategies.

Marine Natural Products Rescuing the Eye: A Narrative Review

“…Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antimicrobial and lifespan-prolonging effects have been extensively described in different medical fields [6][7][8]. In addition, fucoxanthin administration was investigated in order to manage sight disorders [9]. The retina is the nervous part of the eye capable of transforming light rays into electrical impulses.…”

“…Fucoidan is a long-chain sulfated polysaccharide found in various species of brown marine algae such as Fucus vesiculosus, Cladosiphon okamuranus, Laminaria japonica, Sargassum horneri and Undaria pinnatifida. Thanks to different positive and therapeutic properties (antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiangiogenetic, anti-diabetic, anticancer), fucoidan has been evaluated for uses in the healthcare sector and especially in ophthalmology, where it has demonstrated positive effects in managing conditions such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye disease and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) [9,74]. Fucoidan was shown to inhibit diabetic retinal neovascularization through the downregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α/VEGF signaling [57].…”

Algae-Derived Natural Products in Diabetes and Its Complications—Current Advances and Future Prospects

“…These compounds can enhance neuronal survival, promote neurite outgrowth, and modulate neurotrophic factors. By protecting the retinal neurons, algae-derived compounds contribute to the prevention and management of diabetic retinopathy-related vision loss [ 96 , 97 ].…”

Microbial Interactions between Marine Microalgae and Fungi: From Chemical Ecology to Biotechnological Possible Applications

“…Microalgae are known to produce a huge portfolio of bioactive compounds with applications in different industrial sectors [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ]. However, productivity still imposes high costs for specific operation procedures, such as harvesting, nutrient supply, and compound extraction.…”