Oxyresveratrol and Related Stilbenes in Retinal Diseases: Current Preclinical Evidence, Mechanistic Rationale, and Research Priorities

Oxyresveratrol is a naturally occurring stilbene known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic activities. However, its relevance to retinal disease requires careful distinction between direct ocular findings and evidence obtained with related compounds or non-ocular models. This narrative review critically examines direct retinal evidence for oxyresveratrol, comparative retinal studies of resveratrol, and non-ocular findings for mulberrosides and oxyresveratrol-containing botanical preparations. The literature search used PubMed and Google Scholar, supplemented with reference-list screening. The direct oxyresveratrol evidence discussed here includes pretreatment studies in hydrogen peroxide- or sodium iodate-exposed ARPE-19 cells and a sodium iodate-induced mouse retinal injury model. Reported improvements in cellular viability and retinal structure support further investigations of RPE oxidative injury, but methodological limitations and the predominantly preventive treatment designs preclude conclusions regarding efficacy in human age-related macular degeneration or other retinal diseases. The reported NRF2-silencing experiments did not establish that NRF2 activation was required for protection. Effects on retinal mitochondrial function, SIRT1/SIRT3 signaling, pathological angiogenesis, and adipose–retina interactions remain hypotheses requiring direct validation. Findings for resveratrol, mulberrosides, or phytochemical combinations should not be treated as interchangeable evidence of oxyresveratrol efficacy. Priorities include independent replication, post-injury treatment studies, quantitative ocular exposure assessment, and evaluation of safety and disease-specific functional outcomes. Oxyresveratrol therefore warrants further preclinical evaluation, while its translational relevance remains to be established.