ABSTRACT:
Cataract is the major cause of blindness all over the world, nearly 42% of visual impairment occurs due to diabetic associated complications in the eye. Borreria hispida, belonging to Rubiaceae family was used to treat eye infections by folklore system of medicine in India. This study was aimed to create scientific evidence for the anti-cataract activity of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Borreria hispida (HAEBH) in diabetes induced cataract using goat lens. Cataract was induced using galactosamine in goat eyes lens. In this study, isolated goat lenses were suspended in bovine serum albumin. Totally sixteen lenses were selected, each group containing four lenses - normal control (distilled water treated lens), galactosamine treated lens, 1mg/ml of the hydroalcoholic extract of Borreria hispida leaves extract treated lens (HAEBH) and finally 1mg/ml of standard drug atropine treated lens. The opacification of lens were monitored in all the sixteen lenses. Among these, the anticataract activity of Borreria hispida was strengthened by the reduction in the deposition of proteins which is involved in the opacification of lens compared to galactosamine treated lens. The extract shown effective anticataract effect similar to that of standard group. The hydroalcoholic extract of Borreria hispida possess anticataract activity may be due to inhibition of Aldose Reductase enzyme involved in the polyol pathway which has a prime role in developing diabetes induced cataract. Further studies has to be carried out to isolate the prominent biomolecule responsible to control diabetes associated cataract.