Comparison of therapeutic effects of extracts obtained from different herbal (goji berry, green tea, diospyros kaki) leaves in the treatment of experimentally dry eye model in mice

Dry eye syndrome is a multifactorial disease characterized by tear film instability, visual disturbances and symptoms, together with damage to the ocular surface. The aim of this study is to compare the therapeutic effects of extracts from persimmon, green tea, and goji berry leaves in a dry eye model. 28 BALB / c female mice constituting the study material were randomly divided into 4 different of groups 7 subjects in each group. Groups; named dry eye (DE), goji berry (GB), green tea (GT) and persimmon (P). 0.2% Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC) twice a day during 14 days right eyes of the subjects, on 15th and 30th days 0.9% saline solution to the right and left eyes of the subjects in the CG group, and the extracts to the right and left eyes of the subjects in the extract groups were applied topically at dose of 5 µl 3 times a day. On day the 0th the difference between all parametric test (endodontic absorbent paper point test, corneal staining test and tear break-up test) results was insignificant (P> 0.05), and on the 15th day the difference was significant (P <0.05), according to the data of parametric tests applied on days 20, 25 and 30th the best results were obtained from GT group compared to other groups, although the differences (P> 0.05) GT group between other groups were not ignificant. In the results of Western-blot, interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 α), tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α) and nucleid factor kappa B (NF-Kb) inflammatory cytokine expression levels were measured with the highest in DE, the lowest in the GT group, and the highest nukleid factor erythroid-2 Nrf-2 levels in the GT group. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that DE (+) was higher than DE (-) for TNF-α, IL-1α, NF-kB and NrF-2, and lower than the extract groups even though these differences were significant (P <0.05). In the histopathological analysis, the number of vessels and inflammatory cells was high in the KG (+) group and low in the CG group, and these differences were significant (P<0.05). As a result; it is observed that the extract obtained from green tea leaf has more beneficial effects in DE cases compared to goji berry and persimmon leaf extracts.