Genistein Aids in Dry Eye Syndrome

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.The isoflavone genistein may restore tear production that is diminished in dry eye syndrome, according to a study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Researchers from Salus University, Elkins Park, Pa., artificially induced dry eye syndrome (DES) in rats, which were maintained on diets containing 0, 50 and 250 parts per million (ppm) of the isoflavone genistein (geniVida®, from DSM Nutritional Products) for four weeks. A control group received no genistein and did not have DES induced. Animals given 0 ppm genistein that had DES induced had a drastic reduction in tear volume and the density of mucus-producing goblet cell; both doses of genistein significantly improved tear volume and goblet cell density to values in the range of non-treated controls.

DSM Nutritional Products Ltd. supported the study and supplied the geniVida.