Artichokes are well known for their beneficial therapeutic effects: enhancement of lipid metabolism, choleresis, and hepatic functions. In our previous study artichoke leaves extract showed effective inhibition of aldo-keto reductases - human AKR1B1 and rat lens aldose reductase as well as effective inhibition of NF-κB activity in cell culture during LPS incubation in human leukemic monocytes (1). Several in vitro and in vivo studies presented inhibitors of AKR1B1 and antioxidants as a potential therapeutical agents against development of chronic diabetic complications such as cataract, diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and the others (2, 3).
The aim of this work was to elucidate the potential protective activity of artichoke leaves extract and some of its constituents (caffeic and chlorogenic acid) against increasing sorbitol level in the lens tissue induced by high glucose concentration.
Figure 1: Effects of artichoke extract (Art), caffeic acid (CA) and chlorogenic acid (ChA) on sorbitol accumulation in isolated rat lenses cultivated with high glucose concentration (except for negative control Neg Ctrl).
* indicates p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, and *** p < 0.001 versus positive control (Pos Ctrl).
As it is shown in Figure 1, significantly increased sorbitol levels were recorded in the isolated rat lenses incubated with high glucose concentration (50 mM - positive control) in comparison with a sample incubated without glucose (negative control). Sorbitol production was significantly inhibited by all tested samples.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by grants VEGA 1/0359/18 and 1/0561/18.
References:
1.) Miláčková I, Kapustová K, Mučaji P, Hošek J. Phytotherapy Research 2017; 31: 488-496
2.) Grewal AS, Bhardwaj S, Pandita D, Lather V, Sekhon BS. Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, 2016; 16: 120-162
3.) Hu X, Li S., Yang G, Liu H, Boden G, Li L Plos One 2014; 9: e87096