CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05737108Updated Feb 18, 2025

Bilberry-containing Capsules for Dry Eye Mitigation

An interventional study of Bilberry capsule product and Placebo(starch) in Dry Eye, sponsored by Chung Shan Medical University. Completed at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-18.

Sponsored by Chung Shan Medical University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
80
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study investigates whether the oral intake of a bilberry capsule product may relieve dry eye symptoms. Participants will be aged between 20 - 65 years of age, with confirmed diagnosis of dry eye status. The participants will be assessed for several parameters and asked to take 4 bilberry capsules per day for 30 days. The parameters will include ocular surface health, tear volume, tear quality, intraocular pressure, and tear compositions. After the 30 days are completed, the participants will be assessed again for the same parameters.

Read the detailed description

This investigation is a randomized, double-blind study. Subjects with confirmed diagnosis of dry eye are randomly assigned to group A or group B, and asked to orally intake 4 capsules of either bilberry product or placebo per day.The group A will have bilberry product for 30 days, have a 20-day washout period, and then have placebo for another 30 days. The group B will have placebo for 30 days, have a 20-day washout period, and then have bilberry product for another 30 days. All participants will be assessed for parameters, including intraocular pressure, ocular surface health, tear film breakup time (TBUT), tear volume (Schirmer's test), tear composition (Na+, K+, Cl- ions), tear osmolarity, ocular surface impression cytology, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI). The assessments are conducted immediately before the first 30-day and immediately after the second 30-day oral intake period. The parameters are used to compare and evaluate whether the bilberry product can relieve dry eye symptoms.

02

Conditions studied

  • Dry Eye

Keywords

  • bilberry
  • anthocyanin
  • dry eye
  • eye sore
  • eye strain
03

In context

Dry Eye Syndromes

1,292 studies on the registry are indexed under Dry Eye Syndromes; 191 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 80 is above the median of 60 across 1,077 interventional studies indexed under Dry Eye Syndromes.

Browse Dry Eye Syndromes studies →

Lead sponsor

Chung Shan Medical University is the lead sponsor of 124 studies on the registry; 26 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • aged between 20 and 65 years
  • with Schirmer's test results between 5 - 10 mm or Tear Film Break Up Time less than 10 seconds
  • Ocular Surface Disease Index more than 25

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • evident ocular diseases such as cornea disease, cataract, vitreous degeneration, glaucoma, and retinopathy.
  • diabetes
  • hypertension
  • or other chronic diseases or belong to vulnerable groups(pregnancy woman, prisoner, ethical minorities, economic or educationally disadvantaged subjects, disabled individuals such as those at terminal stage of tumorigenesis, blindness, terminal ill individuals)
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Care provider)
Enrollment
80 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Group A-test samples

    This group will be given test bilberry capsule for 30 days and then have a washout period for 20 days.

    Dietary Supplement: Bilberry capsule product · Dietary Supplement: Placebo(starch)

  • Placebo comparator
    Group A-placebo

    This group will be given placebo for 30 days and then have a washout period for 20 days.

    Dietary Supplement: Bilberry capsule product · Dietary Supplement: Placebo(starch)

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementBilberry capsule product

    A specific bilberry capsule product, containing bilberry dried extracts at 23.2 mg and bilberry powder at 3.2 mg will be given to participants for oral intake for 30 days. 30 days of Bilberry capsule product or placebo with crossover to the other.

  • Dietary supplementPlacebo(starch)

    30 days of placebo or Bilberry capsule product with crossover to the other.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline of Schirmer's Test Value at Day 31

    To assess tear secretion volume. The amount of tears are measured in total millimeters after 5 minutes has elapsed. Lower measurement indicates presence of dry eye disease.

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

  2. Change From Baseline of Tear Film Breakup Time at Day 31

    Tear Break-Up Time is a measurement in seconds of tear film stability. The shorter the Tear Break-Up Time, the lower the tear film stability. Less than 10 seconds = dry eye disease; lower score indicates worse disease.

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

  3. Change From Baseline of Ocular Surface Index at Day 31

    To assess the health status with Fluorescein stain. Scale ranges from 0 to 3, where grade 0 = None, 3 = Severe

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline of Tear Contents at Day 31

    Determination of changes in osmolality and ion content for test groups of sample or placebo.

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

  2. Change From Baseline of Ocular Surface Impression Cytology at Day 31

    To assess the status of conjunctival goblet cells and epithelium.

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

  3. Change From Baseline of Ocular Surface Disease Index Score at Day 31

    A questionnaire to assess the health status on ocular surface, with higher scores indicating greater disability.

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

  4. Change From Baseline of Intraocular Pressure at Day 31

    To determine the effects of intervention on intraocular pressure.

    Time frame: on baseline and day31

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Jen-Ai Hospital
    Taichung, 412, Taiwan
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Masmali AM, Purslow C, Murphy PJ. The tear ferning test: a simple clinical technique to evaluate the ocular tear film. Clin Exp Optom. 2014 Sep;97(5):399-406. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12160. PubMed 25138744 ↗
  • The definition and classification of dry eye disease: report of the Definition and Classification Subcommittee of the International Dry Eye WorkShop (2007). Ocul Surf. 2007 Apr;5(2):75-92. doi: 10.1016/s1542-0124(12)70081-2. PubMed 17508116 ↗
  • Fox RI, Chan R, Michelson JB, Belmont JB, Michelson PE. Beneficial effect of artificial tears made with autologous serum in patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Arthritis Rheum. 1984 Apr;27(4):459-61. doi: 10.1002/art.1780270415. No abstract available. PubMed 6712760 ↗
  • Wilson WS, Duncan AJ, Jay JL. Effect of benzalkonium chloride on the stability of the precorneal tear film in rabbit and man. Br J Ophthalmol. 1975 Nov;59(11):667-9. doi: 10.1136/bjo.59.11.667. PubMed 1203224 ↗
  • Brito-Zeron P, Ramos-Casals M; EULAR-SS task force group. Advances in the understanding and treatment of systemic complications in Sjogren's syndrome. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2014 Sep;26(5):520-7. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000096. PubMed 25050925 ↗
  • Sullivan DA, Krenzer KL, Sullivan BD, Tolls DB, Toda I, Dana MR. Does androgen insufficiency cause lacrimal gland inflammation and aqueous tear deficiency? Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1999 May;40(6):1261-5. PubMed 10235562 ↗
  • Schrader S, Mircheff AK, Geerling G. Animal models of dry eye. Dev Ophthalmol. 2008;41:298-312. doi: 10.1159/000131097. PubMed 18453777 ↗
  • Ozawa Y, Kawashima M, Inoue S, Inagaki E, Suzuki A, Ooe E, Kobayashi S, Tsubota K. Bilberry extract supplementation for preventing eye fatigue in video display terminal workers. J Nutr Health Aging. 2015 May;19(5):548-54. doi: 10.1007/s12603-014-0573-6. PubMed 25923485 ↗
  • Kosehira M, Machida N, Kitaichi N. A 12-Week-Long Intake of Bilberry Extract (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) Improved Objective Findings of Ciliary Muscle Contraction of the Eye: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Comparison Trial. Nutrients. 2020 Feb 25;12(3):600. doi: 10.3390/nu12030600. PubMed 32106548 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 18, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05737108
Lead sponsor
Chung Shan Medical University
Collaborators
Glory Kingdom Corporation
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 21, 2023
Start date
Aug 24, 2022
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2023
Completion
Dec 31, 2023
Last update
Feb 18, 2025

Study contacts

David Pei-Cheng Lin, PhD
principal investigator · Chung Shan Medical University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion