Dinal Vaghela¹*, Debabrata Sarkar² and Ronak Chhaya²

¹QA Department, BioAni India Pvt. Ltd., India
²Research and Development Division, BioAni India Pvt. Ltd., India

*Corresponding Author: Dinal Vaghela, QA Department, BioAni India Pvt. Ltd., Lilapur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Received: July 29, 2026; Published: September 03, 2026

Abstract

Lutein is a naturally occurring oxygenated carotenoid (xanthophyll) that cannot be synthesized by humans and must therefore be obtained through dietary sources or nutritional supplementation. Owing to its selective accumulation in the macula of the retina, lutein plays an important role in maintaining retinal integrity and visual function. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and photo-oxidative damage contribute to the pathogenesis of several ocular disorders, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), cataract, and digital eye strain. Lutein exhibits potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-apoptotic, and blue light-filtering properties that protect retinal pigment epithelial cells and photoreceptors from oxidative injury. Experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies have demonstrated that lutein supplementation increases macular pigment optical density (MPOD), improves visual performance, and may reduce the progression of age-related ocular diseases. Emerging evidence also indicates potential benefits in diabetic retinopathy, cataract prevention, and alleviation of digital eye strain through the reduction of oxidative stress, modulation of inflammatory pathways, and preservation of retinal function. This review summarizes the chemistry, physicochemical properties, dietary sources, absorption, bioavailability, metabolism, molecular mechanisms, clinical evidence, safety profile, and therapeutic applications of lutein in ocular health. Furthermore, current limitations and future research perspectives are discussed to provide a comprehensive overview of lutein as a promising nutraceutical for the prevention and management of vision-related disorders.

Keywords: Lutein; Eye Health; Xanthophyll; Carotenoids; Age-Related Macular Degeneration; Diabetic Retinopathy; Cataract; Digital Eye Strain; Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD); Antioxidant; Blue Light Filtration; Nutraceuticals

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Citation

Citation: Dinal Vaghela., et al. “Lutein in Vision and Eye Health". Acta Scientific Ophthalmology 9:1 (2026): 25-37.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Dinal Vaghela., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.