Chemical and Pharmaceutical Studies on Medicinal Plants in Paraguay. I. Isolation and Identification of Lens Aldose Reductase Inhibitor from “Tapecué, ” Acanthospermum australe O.K.

Abstract

The EtOH extract of “Tapecué, ” Acanthospermum australe, was found to have a potent inhibitory activity towards rat lens aldose reductase (AR). From the active fraction of the extract, 5, 7, 4'-trihydroxy-3, 6-dimethoxyflavone was isolated. It was found to have higher activity (IC₅₀ = 1 × 10^-7 M) than quercitrin, which is a known inhibitor of AR (IC₅₀ =1.8 × 10^-6 M in our bioassay).