ArticleScientific reports2026
Ergothioneine as a potential protective agent against macular degeneration and other eye disorders.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Is Ergothioneine an Important Source of Plasma TrimethylamineAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in ageing populations, with oxidative stress recognised as a key pathogenic driver. The dietary antioxidant and cytoprotectant, L-ergothioneine (ET), is avidly accumulated in many tissues, especially the eye. However its relationship to AMD is unclear. Here, we examined ET's distribution in human ocular tissues and measured serum and intraocular ET levels in patients with neovascular AMD. Compared with ocularly-normal age-matched individuals, AMD patients exhibited significantly lower serum ET; elevated levels of ET metabolites, hercynine and ETSO₃, which may be generated by oxidative stress; and elevated levels of serum allantoin, a biomarker of oxidative damage to urate in humans. Levels of ET in aqueous humour in AMD patients were marginally lower than cataractous patients, who are already known to have significantly lower ET levels than healthy eyes. High ET levels were seen in human ocular tissues, concentrating in regions vulnerable to oxidative damage, including the lens, retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and choroid, supporting a physiological protective role of ET in the eye. These findings identify a strong association between low ET levels and AMD, warranting further studies to determine whether ET supplementation can modify AMD risk or progression.
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Registered trials
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