Volume 8 | Issue - 6
Volume 8 | Issue - 6
Volume 8 | Issue - 6
Volume 8 | Issue - 6
Volume 8 | Issue - 5
Cataracts are one of the primary causes of blindness worldwide. Pharmacological methods for preventing and treating cataracts are scarce and centered on surgery. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate the anticataract potential of Coccinia grandis Linn. Voigt using in-vitro and in-vivo models. The EE and FSJ of C. grandis were investigated for protecting goat lenses from glucose-induced cataractogenesis, as well as naphthalene-induced cataracts in Albino rats. Phytochemical screening of C. grandis contained alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, phytosterols, proteins, and tannins, therefore indicating the antioxidant and potential medicinal properties of the extract. In the in vitro model, EE (100 µg/ml) and FSJ (10 ml) resulted in a marked reduction in glucose-induced lens opacity. The treatment restored enzymatic antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and catalase, and the nonenzymatic antioxidants reduced glutathione, which indicated less oxidative damage. In the in-vivo model of naphthalene-induced cataracts, rats treated with EE at 200 mg/kg and FSJ at 10 ml/kg exhibited significant protection against cataract formation. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed a decrease in opacification of the lens, and biochemical assays showed development in the levels of antioxidant enzymes and a decrease in lipid peroxidation. EE was proved to be significantly more effective than FSJ in both models and its activity was comparable to the standard drug-Vitamin E. This study concludes that C. grandis can circumvent oxidative stress, lipid peroxide, and protein aggregation determinants of cataractogenesis. It proves C. grandis is a promising natural agent to prevent cataracts. Future research should target the isolation of the active constituents and the exploration of mechanisms of action to establish new pharmacological approaches against cataracts.