A Standardized Extract of Green-Cotyledon Small Black Soybean (EYESOY®) Ameliorates Dry Eye Syndrome in an Animal Model.

PURPOSE: Dry eye syndrome is a common ocular disease that causes morbidity, high healthcare burden, and decreased quality of life. In this study, we evaluated the beneficial effects of a standardized extract of small black soybean (EYESOY®) in a benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced murine model of dry eye. METHODS: Experimental dry eye was induced by instillation of 0.02% BAC on the right eye of the Sprague-Dawley rats. Saline solution or EYESOY were administered orally every day for 8 weeks. RESULTS: EYESOY significantly improved tear volume in the cornea compared with that in the BAC group. Moreover, EYESOY inhibited damage to the corneal epithelial cells and lacrimal glands by suppressing the oxidative and inflammatory responses in a mouse dry eye model. It also increased the goblet cell density and mucin integrity in the conjunctiva. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that EYESOY has the potential to alleviate dry eye syndrome.

Comparing levels of perfluorinated compounds in processed marine products.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are widely distributed in nature and have many applications due to their unique chemical and physicochemical properties. While, PFCs are present in soil, water, and air, their pathway for entry into the human body is circumstantially via contaminated food. The demand for seafood has been increasing. In this study, we investigated via LC-MS/MS, the content of 19 different types of PFCs in 302 samples belonging to five different categories of the typical South Korean seafood. The highest levels of PFOA, PFTrDA, PFOS, and PFPeA were found in dried seafood, canned and salted seafood, processed fish food, and seasoned laver, respectively. The levels of PFOA and PFOS were compared on the basis of various criteria including the nomenclature, biological classification, and habitat of the source of seafood. High levels of PFOA and PFOS were detected in anchovy, sea squirt, and mackerel based on the nomenclature of raw seafood, in crustaceans based on the biological classification, and in demersal organisms based on the habitat. The human intake values of PFOA and PFOS from the processed marine products in South Korea were lower than the tolerable daily intake, indicating that the consumption of these processed seafood poses no immediate harm.