But now researchers are adding more feathers to their caps. Extracts of bitter kola, garden egg and pepper fruit have shown promise as the next best eye drugs in town.
Garcinia kola of the family Guttiferaceae is an indigenous herb in Nigeria colloquially referred to as “bitter kola”, “false kola” or “male kola.” Garcinia kola has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antimicrobial and antiviral properties.
Botanically called Dennettia tripetala, pepper fruit belongs to the plant family Annonaceae. It is called Ako in Edo, Nkarika in Ibibio, Mmimi in Igbo, and Ata igbere in Yoruba.
Professor of Ophthalmology at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Adebukunola O Adefule-Ositelu, told participants at an exhibition on natural medicine in Lagos organised by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to mark the 2013 African Traditional Medicine Day that her team has patented eye drops made with bitter kola for preventing blindness in patients with glaucoma.
The ophthalmologist said: “I got the mixture from one of my patients who I promised we will work on it. I can tell you authoritatively now that we have done extensive research on this extract as an eye drop and we are successfully using it in our clinic in successfully treating patients with glaucoma.”
The study by Adefule-Ositelu and her team published recently in Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology concluded: “Topical Garcinia kola 0.5 per cent aqueous eye drops are as effective as timolol maleate 0.5 per cent eye drops in lowering Intraocular Pressure (IOP) in newly diagnosed glaucoma and ocular hypertensive patients. The mean IOP reducing efficacy after six months of use was similar in both groups. Garcinia kola extract may represent an alternate topical medication for patient with open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertensives in a resource limited population.”
The other members of the research team include: Adebayo K Adefule from the Department of Ophthalmology, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Bernice O. Adegbehingbe, Olayinka O. Adegbehingbe, and Elsie Samaila from Departments of Surgery, (Ophthalmology Unit) and Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and Kehinde Oladigbolu of the Department of Surgery, National Eye Centre, Kaduna.
Also, Nigeria researchers have shown that eating pepper fruits could decrease the risk of blindness caused by glaucoma.
The researchers at the Department of Optometry Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, have demonstrated how a meal rich in pepper fruit reduces the risk of glaucoma by stabilising the Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) of the eye.
The study is titled “Effect of Dennettia tripetela Seed Intake on the Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) of normotensive Emmetropic Nigerian Igbos.” Normotensive is having normal blood pressure.
Emmetropia describes the state of vision where an object at infinity is in sharp focus with the eye lens in a neutral or relaxed state. This condition of the normal eye is achieved when the refractive power of the cornea and the axial length of the eye balance out, which focuses rays exactly on the retina, resulting in perfect vision. An eye in a state of emmetropia requires no correction.
According to the Abia State University study, results obtained showed that consumption of 0.75g of seed gradually reduced the mean IOP from 15.6mmHg to 11.20mmHg, (25.64 per cent reduction) after 60 minutes; and gradually reversed towards baseline value at 120mins-post ingestion. The mean induced change in IOP at 60 minutes was 4.00mmHg. The effect was found to be statistically significant.
The researchers wrote: “Result obtained from this study showed that ingestion of 0.75g of reduced the Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) of normotensive emmetropes though not sustained. At 30 minutes post consumption of pepper fruit, the IOP was reduced by 17.30 per cent (12.90mmHg) from the mean baseline of 15.60mmHg.
“This decrease in IOP was consistent at 60 minutes (a 25.64 per cent reduction 11.20mmHg) and then started reverting towards baseline. This decrease was, therefore, not found to be sustained after 60 minutes post consumption of the seeds. The IOP returned almost to baseline after 120 minutes (a mean of 15.40mmHg) post ingestion of 0.75g.
“There was a statistically significant reduction of IOP after 30 minutes and 60 minutes. This reduction in IOP recorded was probably due to the ascorbic acid, magnesium, flavonoid, melatonin, thiamin, vitamin B, lipoid acid content of Ascorbic acid had been established to support the osmotic influx of water following osmolarity elevation of blood artificially leading to the fall in IOP.
“The effect of flavonoid in IOP reduction is thought to be as a result of the reduction in excessive permeability of blood aqueous membrane within the eye. The presence of lipoic acid (fatty acid) probably helped in the reduction of IOP by increasing glutathione in red blood cells and lacrimal fluid of glaucomatous patients thereby reducing the IOP.
“Finally, the presence of melatonin, thiamine (vitamin B) and vitamin B perhaps also contributed to the reduction in IOP. This is due to the fact that melatonin levels have been found to decrease in glaucomatous patient and normal diurnal rhythms of IOP fluctuation reflect melatoninrhythms"
Also, Nigerian researchers led by the former Director General of NAFDAC and professor of pharmacology at University of Nigeria (UNN), Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili have demonstrated how a meal of garden egg would be of benefit to patients suffering from raised intraocular pressure (glaucoma) and convergence insufficiency, as well as in diseases associated with hyperlipidemia (high lipids/fats) such as ischaemic heart diseases and arteriosclerosis (stiffening of the arteries).
Botanically called Solanum melongena, garden egg or bitter tomato is an economic flowering plant belonging to the family Solanaceae.
The study on garden egg and glaucoma is titled “Effects of Solanum melongena (garden egg) on some visual functions of visually active Igbos of Nigeria.”
The effects of bolus consumption of 10 gram of S. melongena were undertaken on visually active male volunteers so as to determine its ocular complications. Results of the study showed that the pupil size was reduced (23 per cent), Near Point of Convergence (NPC) was decreased (nine per cent) and the Anecortave Acetate (AA) was increased (22 per cent) and the intraocular pressure dropped by 25 per cent while there was no effect on Visual Acuity (VA), and the habitual phoria. Anecortave (rINN) is a novel angiogenesis inhibitor used in the treatment of the exudative (wet) form of age-related macular degeneration (blindness).
The miotic effect lowered the intraocular pressure appreciably and the reduced NPC, which was still within normal range, did not produce any vision discomfort. The increased AA and convergence excess positively correlated provide an efficient visual mechanism
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The researchers concluded: “It is suggested that S. melongena would be of benefit to patients suffering from raised intraocular pressure (glaucoma) and convergence insufficiency.”
Also, two earlier studies published in Archives of Ophthalmology offer hope of reducing risk of blindness due to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and cataract.
Three leading causes of blindness are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy related to premature birth. All three conditions involve retinopathy, which is the abnormal development of blood vessels in the eye.
Researchers have found that regular consumption of fish; nuts, olive oil and other foods containing omega-three fatty acids and avoiding trans-fats may significantly lower the risk for AMD.
Food sources of omega-3s include leafy green vegetables, walnuts, flaxseeds and fatty fish such as salmon, herring and sardines. Omega-6s are found in meat and vegetable oils such as safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and soy oils.
Previous studies have shown that extracts of carrots, garlic, pumpkin (Ugu in Igbo), amaranth (commonly called green vegetable) aniseed, almonds contain antioxidants that may decrease the development or progression of cataract.
Several research studies show that the antioxidant properties of vitamins C and E contained in these plants may protect against the development and progression of cataracts.
Early evidence also suggested that the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are also antioxidants, might also be protective against cataracts. Some recent studies compared diet and supplement intake of the antioxidant vitamins C and E with the development of cataracts. However, naturopaths recommend eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
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IOP is the pressure within the eyeball as a result of the constant formation and drainage of the aqueous humour. It is the internal pressure of which allows the eye to hold on to its shape and function properly. Intraocular pressure is controlled primarily by the rate of secretion or rate of drainage of the aqueous humour. These will be building up pressure leading to increased risk of optic nerve damage, a pathological condition called glaucoma
Glaucoma is rated as the second leading cause of vision loss worldwide. It is also estimated that 66.8 million people are affected by glaucoma worldwide and 6.7 million are bilaterally blind because of the disease. It was said to affect individuals of all age groups but is more prevalent after the fourth decade of life.
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. The progression of this disease can be reduced or stopped by lowering IOP with medication and surgery. Among the several options available for medical therapy of elevated IOP, topical b-blockers and the prostaglandin F2รก analogs, such as latanoprost, are the most commonly prescribed first-line therapies?
In Nigeria, the most commonly available IOP reducing agents are beta-blockers (mainly timolol maleate 0.5 per cent eye drops) and prostaglandins (mainly latanoprost 0.005 per cent). Latanoprost 0.005 per cent is more effective than timolol maleate 0.5 per cent in reducing diurnal IOP fluctuations. This is clinically important because optic nerve damage is accelerated by IOP fluctuations.
The enzymes involved in the transport are sodium potassium activated adenosine triphosphate and carbonic anhydrase. Some have proposed the IOP lowering activity of Garcinia kola is a combination of a vasodilation effect, which reduces aqueous production through the lowering of perfusion pressure, and a miotic effect, which increases outflow facility.
The researchers wrote: “The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of G. kola 0.5 per cent aqueous eye drops to that of timolol maleate 0.5 per cent in newly diagnosed patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OH). The primary outcome measure was the change in IOP over 24 weeks.”
The researchers said the results of the current study indicate that Garcinia kola 0.5 per cent aqueous eye drops are as effective as timolol in reducing IOP in newly diagnosed patients with POAG or OH. Additionally, the outcomes confirm the efficacy of timolol among Nigerians with POAG and OH. Timolol and G. kola aqueous eye drops were effective in the reduction of IOP at 6, 12 and 24 weeks. G. kola had a significant IOP lowering effect at 12 weeks compared to timolol. Chromatography has established that G. kola extracts have similar features to some commonly used glaucoma medications.
They explained: “In the G. kola group, IOP reduction from baseline to the sixth week was approximately 24 per cent and 25 per cent in the timolol-treated eyes. The mean IOP reduction at six months in the G. Kola group and timolol-treated eyes was 47.8 per cent and 48.2 per cent, respectively with no statistically significant difference between groups.
“The significantly greater IOP lowering effect after six weeks of treatment was due to poor drug compliance initially in the majority of subjects. Most subjects exhausted their assigned drug earlier than expected and stopped further treatment a few days prior to the upcoming follow up. Hence the IOP reduction was minimal six weeks into the study compared to subsequent visits.
“Furthermore, subjects did not contact the study coordinator for additional medication because they felt that the treatment had no effect. However, they were counselled on the importance of continuing medication regardless of their perceptions for the duration of the study and there was better compliance from six weeks onwards.
“Since glaucoma has been found to be one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide the need for cheaper and acceptable adjuvant remedy becomes necessary Therefore ingestion should be encouraged as an adjuvant in the treatment of glaucoma.”
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http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/natural-health/132486-natural-cure-for-cataracts-glaucoma-validated
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