WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants - travolekar.ru

Fructus Myrtilli
demonstrated. The final examination of 29 patients showed a stabilization
of the fundus alterations, as well as a stable, or an improved visual acuity.
In seven patients, a moderate deterioration of the partial or overall medical
condition occurred (35).
Night vision improvement
The effect of the crude drug on the enhancement of night vision was first
investigated by researchers in studies of Royal Air Force pilots during the
Second World War. In these case-reports, the investigators suggested that
there were improvements in night vision less than 24 hours after ingesting
an unknown quantity of bilberry jam (36). Administration of the bilberry
jam resulted in improved nighttime visual acuity, faster adjustment to
darkness and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare (37,
38). Later studies supported these observations (36, 39, 40). Two studies
showed that the administration of four tablets of an unspecified extract of
the crude drug (100 mg per tablet) increased the light sensitivity threshold
(36). However, these results have not been duplicated in controlled clinical
trials. In one study, the ability of anthocyanosides in a single oral dose
to improve night vision in normal individuals was evaluated during three
night vision tests: full-field scotopic retinal threshold, dark adaptation
rate and mesopic contrast sensitivity (41). The study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled,
cross-over study, involved 16 young normal volunteers
who were randomly assigned to one of four different regimens of single
oral administrations of 12, 24 and 36 mg of anthocyanosides or a placebo,
with a 2-week washout period between doses. Scotopic retinal threshold,
dark adaptation rate and mesopic contrast sensitivity were measured immediately
before, and 4, 8 and 24 hours after treatment. No significant
effect of the treatment was found on any of the three night vision tests
during the 24 hours following administration. The study concluded that
single oral administration of 12–36 mg of anthocyanosides lacked any significant
effect on night vision tests relevant to the military (41).
In a controlled study, the ability of multiple oral doses of anthocyanosides
to improve night vision in normal individuals was assessed. The effect
was tested in the three night vision tests: scotopic retinal threshold,
dark adaptation rate and mesopic contrast sensitivity. This double-blind,
placebo-controlled, cross-over study involved 18 young normal volunteers
who were randomly assigned to one of three different regimens of
oral administrations of 12.0 and 24.0 mg/day anthocyanosides or a placebo,
given twice daily for 4 days. A 2-week washout period was allowed
between each 4-day treatment period. Scotopic retinal threshold, dark adaptation
rate and mesopic contrast sensitivity tests were done 1 day before
treatment and on days 1, 2, 3 and 4 during the treatment period.
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