Marine Natural Products Rescuing the Eye: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Different degrees of visual impairment lead to a decrease in patient wellbeing, which has an adverse effect on many facets of social and professional life. Eye disorders can affect several parts of the eye, most notably the retina and the cornea, and the impacted areas might share a common form of cellular damage or dysfunction (such as inflammation, oxidative stress and neuronal degeneration). Considering that marine organisms inhabit a broad variety of marine habitats, they display a great degree of chemical diversity. As a result, molecules with a marine origin are receiving more and more attention in the hopes of developing novel therapeutic approaches. For instance, fucoxanthin has been demonstrated to be effective in protecting the retina against photo-induced damage, while largazole, astaxanthin and spirulina have all shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activities that can be useful for the management of several ocular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and ocular surface disorders. The aim of this review is to analyze the scientific literature relating to the therapeutic effects on the eye of the main natural marine products, focusing on their mechanism of action and potential clinical uses for the management of ocular diseases.