Short-term saffron supplementation ameliorates early AMD, study shows

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010;51:6118-6124.

Short-term supplementation of saffron, an antioxidant, was shown to improve retinal function in patients with early age-related macular degeneration, a study found.

"Saffron's major constituents, the compounds crocin and crocetin, which are derivatives of carotenoids, are powerful antioxidants, with antiapoptotic characteristics," the study authors said. These properties, together with preclinical evidence, provide a strong rationale for testing the effect of saffron supplementation in early AMD."

The prospective study included 25 patients with bilateral early AMD. Mean patient age was 65 years. Eleven patients received a daily dosage of 20 mg oral saffron. A comparator group of 14 patients received placebo for 90 days. Treatment regimens were crossed over after a 15-day washout period and continued for 90 days.

Investigators conducted focal electroretinography and clinical examinations at baseline and 3 months after initialization of treatment or placebo. Primary outcome measures were focal electroretinogram amplitude, phase and modulation.

Study results showed that electroretinogram modulation thresholds decreased a mean 0.26 log units in the saffron group and 0.003 log units in the placebo group. Visual acuity improved by one line in 20 patients in the saffron group and was unchanged in the placebo group.