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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Serr. (Aegle marmelos) leaves were extensively used in the Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha systems of Indian medicine as an anti-diabetic agent, which serves as hypoglycemic agent. However, the significance of this plant on secondary complications of diabetes such as cataract remained unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible anti-cataractous activity of Aegle marmelos against streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic cataract in rats., Materials and Methods: Aegle marmelos leaf extract was prepared using three different solvents (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol) and tested for inhibition against rat lens aldose reductase (AR), a key enzyme of polyol pathway. Furthermore, the pharmacological potential of Aegle marmelos extract was investigated against osmotic stress induced opacification of lens in ex vivo organ culture and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic cataract in rats., Results: Ethyl acetate extract of Aegle marmelos inhibited rat lens AR in vitro with an IC50 value of ≈ 15 µg/ml. This extract also prevented the hyperglycemia induced increase in AR activity, sorbitol accumulation and opacification of rat lens in ex vivo lens organ culture. Supplementation of ethyl acetate extract of Aegle marmelos to STZ-induced diabetic rats decreased the blood glucose levels due to hyperglycemia and inhibited the AR activity and delayed cataract progression in dose dependent manner. α-crystallin isolated from diabetic rats fed with Aegle marmelos showed improved chaperone activity than that of isolated from rats naïve to Aegle marmelos., Conclusion: This study indicates that ethyl acetate extract of Aegle marmelos has pharmacologically active components with a potential to inhibit rat lens AR and consequential decrease in osmotic stress. Besides this, the present study also demonstrates that the extract prevented loss of antioxidants contributing to the integrity of α-crystallin's chaperone activity and thereby delaying cataract., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The antidiabetic effect of the ethanolic extract of Eclipta alba (EEA) on hyperglycaemia and diabetic nephropathy was investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Single-dose treatment of EEA to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats lowered the blood glucose level by 17.6% (p < 0.05) at 250 mg kg(-1) dose after 5 h post oral administration. Treatment of animals after 10 weeks of STZ-treatment with EEA (250 mg kg(-1)) for 21 days significantly reduced the elevated levels of blood glucose, %HbA1C, urea, uric acid and creatinine, and significantly increased the depressed serum insulin level. The extract exerted a significant inhibitory effect on alpha-glucosidase in a noncompetitive manner with an IC(50) value of around 54 µg mL(-1) and was found inhibitory to eye lens aldose reductase with an IC(50) value of around 4.5 µg mL(-1). The results suggest that EEA possesses antidiabetic effect associated with alpha-glucosidase and aldose reductase inhibition.