• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 2009

Aldose reductase (AR) has been reported to play an important role in sugar-induced cataract. In the present study, the AR inhibitory activity of Enicostemma hyssopifolium (EH), Gymnema sylvestre, Eclipta alba, and Tinospora cordifolia (TC) were studied along with their effect on sugar-induced cataractogenic changes in sheep lenses in vitro. AR inhibitory activity of the aqueous extracts of plants and their anticataract potentials were evaluated in vitro in sheep lenses, considering the activity of normal sheep lenses as 100%. The concentration of the plant extract that showed maximum activity was selected to further study its effect on galactose-induced polyol accumulation in vitro. The $IC_50$ values of EH and TC were calculated to be 102 and 85 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. EH showed a significant inhibition (61.3%) in polyol accumulation followed by TC (53.1%). EH and TC possesses a significant anticataract activity in vitro and its anticataract potential could be related with its AR inhibitory effect.