Patients with age-related macular degeneration typically exhibit an accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in the retinal Bruch's membrane. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were found to engulf oxLDL, triggering apoptosis. Mulberry and its anthocyanin might reduce oxLDL and lipid deposition in individuals consuming high-cholesterol diet. To investigate the relationship between mulberry water extract (MWE) intake and oxLDL in eye protection, Syrian hamsters fed a high fat diet (HFD) were used herein. After 8 weeks of treatment, MWE was found to reduce lipid deposition in hamsters' retinas. MWE also reduced the level of oxLDL and lipid peroxidation in eye specimens. Mulberry protected RPE cells from oxLDL-induced cell death and could inhibit the entry of oxLDL into cells by reducing the oxLDL receptor. Taken together, our results indicate that both in HFD fed hamsters and in oxLDL-treated ARPE cells, mulberry can reduce oxLDL accumulation to protect the retina from oxLDL-induced damage.
