Planta Med 2012; 78 - PI181
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1320869

β-glucogallin: A novel aldose reductase inhibitor from E. officinalis used in traditional ayurveda to treat diabetes

M Puppala 1, J Ponder 2, P Suryanarayana 1, GB Reddy 1, JM Petrash 2, 3, DV LaBarbera 2
  • 1National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India
  • 2Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • 3Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

The plant Emblica officinalis has been used for thousands of years as an Indian Ayurvedic preparation to treat diabetes. In the eye, human aldose reductase (AKR1B1) metabolism of glucose to sorbitol is linked to cataract formation. We present the isolation and characterization of β-glucogallin (BGG) from E. officinalis, as a potent and selective inhibitor (IC50=17µM) of AKR1B1. Molecular modeling demonstrates that BGG favorably binds the active site of AKR1B1. BGG effectively inhibits sorbitol accumulation by 73% under hyperglycemic conditions in AKR1B1 expressing lenses excised from transgenic mice. This study supports the continued development of natural products such as β-glucogallin as therapeutic leads in the development of novel therapies to treat diabetic complications such as cataract.