Tamarind for Dry Eyes

A recent study suggested that tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) may be an innovative new treatment for dry eye.

Researchers in Italy studied the activity of TSP and hyaluronic acid (HA) in the treatment of dry eye syndrome in an open-label, randomized single-center clinical study.

Thirty patients were randomized to receive three or more applications per day of either TSP 0.5 percent, TSP 1 percent or HA 0.2 percent (Hyalistiltrade mark) over a period of 90 days. The primary objective of tolerability was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS), scoring of specific symptoms and the incidence of adverse events.

Secondary objectives included improvement in stability of the precorneal tear film, subjective symptoms and corneal and conjunctival staining.

The study found that TSP 0.5 percent and 1 percent were comparable to HA 0.2 percent with regard to both primary and secondary objective parameters. TSP 1 percent showed benefits over HA 0.2 percent for the subjective symptoms: trouble blinking, ocular burning and foreign body sensation.

The study authors concluded that TSP 0.5 percent and 1 percent offered at least equivalent relief to HA 0.2 percent for dry eye syndrome. All treatments demonstrated optimal tolerability and are suitable for frequent use in the therapy of dry eye. TSP 1 percent produced promising results in terms of improvements in certain patient symptoms and suggested benefits of the TSP formulation.


1.    Rolando M, Valente C. Establishing the tolerability and performance of tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) in treating dry eye syndrome: results of a clinical study. BMC Ophthalmol. 2007 Mar 29;7:5.
2.    Natural Standard Research Collaboration: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com. Copyright © 2007.