Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) is a South American fruit valued for its high delphinidin content, a type of anthocyanin. Japanese brands have taken an interest in it for eye-comfort products aimed at people who spend long hours on screens, and a small but specific body of human trials sits behind that interest.
This guide is for brand owners planning a maqui berry product made in Japan. It covers what the trials measured, how Japanese products describe the ingredient, and what to fix before a formulation is quoted.
Health supplements are foods, not medicines, and are not a substitute for medical treatment. Nothing here is a claim that any product prevents, treats or cures a disease.
💬 Planning a maqui berry product made in Japan? We check the full formula against Japanese food law first. See Japan-made supplement OEM.
What the research shows
Small trials of a standardised, delphinidin-rich maqui berry extract report increased tear fluid volume and reduced eye discomfort after screen work, but the studies are small and come from overlapping research groups.
| Study | Design/What was analysed | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot trial, Panminerva Medica 2014;56(3 Suppl 1):1–6 (PMID 25208615) | 13 volunteers with moderately reduced tear film, given 30 mg or 60 mg/day of a standardised maqui berry extract for 60 days | Both doses significantly increased Schirmer test tear fluid volume after 30 days; the 60 mg dose sustained the increase to day 60 and produced a larger drop in a dry-eye-related quality-of-life score |
| Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2018 (2019 print);9(3):172–178 (PMID 31193920) | 74 adults (37 per group), 60 mg/day of the same standardised extract or placebo for 4 weeks | The extract group showed a significantly larger increase in Schirmer test tear volume (P = 0.005) than placebo; after screen work, the extract group reported significantly less eye fatigue, shoulder stiffness and bothersome eye symptoms on a quality-of-life questionnaire |
Points to keep in view:
- Size. The pilot trial had 13 participants split across two doses; the later randomised trial had 74. Both are small by clinical-trial standards.
- Overlapping groups. Both trials used the same standardised extract and share elements of authorship, so independent replication by unrelated teams would strengthen the evidence.
- What was measured. The outcomes are tear fluid volume (Schirmer test) and self-reported comfort scores, not a diagnosis or treatment of any eye disease.
- Duration. The longest trial ran 60 days; no long-term data were found in this search.
Checked against the published abstracts on 25 September 2026.
What Japanese products say
In Japan, delphinidin-rich maqui berry extract appears in Foods with Function Claims notified for supporting eye moisture that tends to decline with regular smartphone, PC or TV-game use, and for easing the temporary eye fatigue, discomfort and shoulder burden that follow such screen work.
Under Japan’s Foods with Function Claims system, the notifying business is responsible for the scientific evidence behind the stated function, submitted to the Consumer Affairs Agency before sale. The notified function is framed around everyday screen-use habits, at a delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside intake in the same range the trials above used, not as a treatment for any eye condition.
💬 Need an evidence summary for your regulatory adviser that matches the exact measures these trials reported? We prepare it with the manufacturing documents. Tell us your market.
Wording that stays on safe ground
Describe maqui berry by the specific measure a trial reported, not by a promise about eye health in general.
| Safer wording | Wording to avoid |
|---|---|
| ”Studied for tear-film measures after screen work” | Names of eye diseases, or “treats” anything |
| ”Contains delphinidin-rich maqui berry extract” with the amount per serving | ”Cures dry eye” or “restores tear production” |
| Naming the study and its sample size | ”Clinically proven” without qualification |
How maqui berry is formulated
The trials used 30–60 mg/day of a standardised extract, so maqui berry fits easily into a small capsule or tablet and combines readily with other eye-comfort ingredients.
| Dosage form | Why brands choose it | What to weigh up |
|---|---|---|
| Hard capsule | Small daily serving, flavourless | Suits combined “eye” formulas |
| Tablet | Low cost per serving | Anthocyanin colour can tint the tablet |
Decisions that shape the specification:
- Standardisation. Ask the supplier for the delphinidin and delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside content of the extract, since the trials above were run on a standardised preparation, not raw maqui berry powder.
- Amount per serving. Match the amount to the trial you intend to cite — 60 mg/day of the standardised extract gave the clearer result in both trials above.
- Companion ingredients. Maqui berry is often combined with other carotenoids or anthocyanins in eye formulas. Each companion needs its own check against Japanese food law.
- Your market’s status for maqui berry. Its status as a food ingredient differs between countries. Confirm it before committing to a formula.
The check that comes first
Every ingredient must be permitted in foods in Japan, or a Japanese factory cannot make the product.
Standardised maqui berry extract is established in Japanese foods. The risk in a combined “eye” formula usually sits in a companion botanical that Japan treats as a medicine rather than a food. See the Japan-made supplement OEM page, and our crocetin and bilberry guides for related eye ingredients.
Before you ask for a quotation
A factory can quote accurately once the extract standardisation, the amount, the form and the packaging are fixed.
- Delphinidin content of the maqui berry extract
- Amount per serving and servings per pack
- Dosage form
- Companion ingredients and their amounts
- Packaging
- Countries you will sell in, and first order and annual volume
💬 Ready to design a Japan-made maqui berry product? Send us the concept — extract specification, amount, form and the countries you will sell in.
Frequently asked questions
1. Does maqui berry help with eye dryness from screen use?
Two small trials of a standardised, delphinidin-rich maqui berry extract reported increased tear fluid volume and reduced eye discomfort after screen work. Both trials are small, so describe the ingredient as studied for tear-film measures during screen work, not as a cure for dry eye.
2. What dose was used in the trials?
30 mg and 60 mg per day of the standardised extract, with 60 mg giving the more consistent result across both a pilot trial and a later randomised trial.
3. Where does maqui berry come from?
Aristotelia chilensis, a berry native to Patagonia, prized for its high delphinidin (anthocyanin) content.
4. Is raw maqui berry powder the same as the extract used in the trials?
No. The trials used a standardised extract with a confirmed delphinidin content. Ask your supplier for the extract’s specification rather than assuming a generic maqui berry powder matches it.
5. Can maqui berry be combined with other eye ingredients?
Yes, in principle, alongside carotenoids such as lutein or crocetin. Every companion ingredient needs its own check against Japanese food law before the product can be made.
Sources: pilot trial of a standardised maqui berry extract on tear fluid production and dry-eye-related symptoms, Panminerva Medica 2014;56(3 Suppl 1):1–6, PMID 25208615; randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a standardised maqui berry extract on eye dryness and fatigue in humans, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2018 (2019 print);9(3):172–178, PMID 31193920; Consumer Affairs Agency notifications for Foods with Function Claims. Checked on 25 September 2026.