Purple rice extract and anthocyanidins of the constituents protect against light-induced retinal damage in vitro and in vivo.

This study evaluated the protective effects of purple rice ( Oryza sativa L.) bran extract (PRE) and its major anthocyanidins (cyanidin and peonidin) against light-induced retinal damage. In an in vitro experiment, cultured murine photoreceptor cells (661W) were damaged by a 24 h exposure to light. Viability of 661W after light treatment, assessed by the tetrazolium salt (WST-8) assay and Hoechst 33342 nuclear staining, was improved by the addition of PRE, cyanidin, and peonidin. Intracellular radical activation in 661W, evaluated using the reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensitive probe 5-(and 6)-chloromethyl-2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate acetyl ester (CM-H(2)DCFDA), was reduced by PRE and its anthocyanidins. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements showed that PRE, peonidin, and cyanidin all exhibited radical scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, superoxide anion radical ((•)O(2)(-)), and hydroxyl radical ((•)OH). In an in vivo mouse experiment, intravitreous injection of PRE significantly suppressed photoreceptor degeneration induced by exposure to light as revealed by histological analysis using hematoxylin-eosin staining. These findings suggest that PRE and its anthocyanidins possess protective effects with antioxidation mechanism in both in vitro and in vivo models of retinal diseases.