Gac Fruit Oil Supplementation for Visual Health and Sleep Quality

Study on Visual Health Promotion and Carotenoids From Momordica Cochinchinensis

This study evaluated the effects of gac fruit oil supplementation on visual health, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and brain imaging parameters in adults with sleep disturbance. Participants aged 40 to 65 years were recruited and received gac fruit oil capsules for 30 days. The supplementation protocol consisted of two capsules in the morning and two capsules in the evening each day. Assessments were performed before and after the intervention, including macular pigment measurement, ocular surface disease evaluation, tear film analysis, contrast sensitivity testing, accommodative microfluctuation analysis, optical coherence tomography, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a depression scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. The study aimed to explore whether 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation was associated with changes in visual function, sleep quality, mood-related measures, cognitive function, and brain imaging findings.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sleep Disturbance; Visual Health
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Gac Fruit Oil Capsules

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Hsinchu, Taiwan, 30015
    • Yuanpei University of Medical Technology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 40 to 65 years.
• Participants with sleep disturbance.
• Participants who were willing to participate in the study and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of ocular surgery.
• Cataract.
• Glaucoma.
• Current supplementation intended to increase macular pigment level.
• Pregnancy.
• Severe illness.
• Use of medications that may affect or stimulate sleep.
• Use of medications that promote sleep.
• Unable to undergo magnetic resonance imaging, including but not limited to individuals with a pacemaker, artificial heart valve, metal aneurysm clip, metallic tracheostomy tube, possible metallic fragments in the orbit, cochlear implant, implanted electrodes, neurostimulator, implanted drug infusion device, hemostatic clips, vascular stents, claustrophobia, previous brain surgery, or history of traumatic brain injury with implanted metal materials.
• Participants who experienced discomfort during the study or wished to withdraw could discontinue participation at any time without providing a reason.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Gac Fruit Oil Supplementation; Participants received gac fruit oil capsules for 30 days. The supplementation protocol consisted of two capsules in the morning and two capsules in the evening each day.	Dietary supplement: Gac Fruit Oil Capsules; Participants took gac fruit oil capsules orally for 30 days. The supplementation protocol consisted of two capsules in the morning and two capsules in the evening each day, for a total of four capsules per day.; Other Names: Momordica cochinchinensis Oil Capsules

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Sleep Quality	Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Depressive Symptoms	Depressive symptoms were assessed using a depression scale before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Macular Pigment Level	Macular pigment level was assessed using a macular pigment screener before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Ocular Surface Disease Symptoms	Ocular surface disease symptoms were assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Tear Film Parameters	Tear film parameters were assessed using a non-contact ocular surface analyzer before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Contrast Sensitivity	Contrast sensitivity was assessed using the CVS-1000 contrast sensitivity test before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Accommodative Microfluctuation	Accommodative microfluctuation was assessed using an accommodative microfluctuation analyzer before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Retinal Structure	Retinal structure was assessed using optical coherence tomography before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Cognitive Function	Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days
Change in Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters	Brain magnetic resonance imaging parameters were assessed before and after 30 days of gac fruit oil supplementation.	Baseline and 30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yuanpei University of Medical Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Chao-Kai Chang, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 16, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): July 16, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 28, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 28, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 3, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 28, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Sleep quality; Depressive symptoms; Gac fruit oil; Momordica cochinchinensis; Visual health
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Behavior; Parasomnias; Depression; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: YPU-IRB-1110708

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared because the study data include health-related questionnaire responses, ophthalmic examination data, and brain magnetic resonance imaging data. Data were collected under the informed consent and confidentiality procedures approved by the institutional review board.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No