Oxidative damage is a key factor for the pathogenesis of age‑related macular degeneration (AMD), therefore, anti-oxidative stress is a valuable method for the prevention or treatment of AMD. The aim of the present study was to reveal the protective mechanism of lutein on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells subjected to oxidative stress. Acute retinal pigment epithelial 19 (ARPE‑19) cells were exposed to oxidative stress induced by H2O2 following lutein pretreatment. The activities of caspases, level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell cycle were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expression levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins and inflammation‑associated genes were detected using western blot and reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction analyses, respectively. The data showed that oxidative stress reduced cell viability, and increased total apoptosis and ROS generation, however, lutein prevented cells from oxidative stress‑induced damage. In addition, oxidative damage triggered G2/M phase arrest of the ARPE‑19 cells, which was reversed by lutein in a concentration‑dependent manner, through the activation of cyclin‑dependent kinase 1 and cell division cycle 25C, and degradation of cyclin B1. These results demonstrated that lutein may be an effective antioxidant, which can be applied in the prevention of AMD, or other age-related diseases associated with oxidative damage.