Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside (Isorhamnetin-3-O-beta-D-Glucoside) inhibits the activity of alpha-glucosidase from rat intestine; it exhibits a potent rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) inhibition in vitro, its IC(50) being 1.4 microM and has inhibitory effects of sorbitol accumulation, suggests that it is a leading compound for further study as a new drug for the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes and its complications.

The inhibitory effects of compounds from Salicornia herbacea (Chenopodiaceae) on rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) and sorbitol accumulation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat tissues were investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS:The various fractions from the MeOH extract of S. herbacea were tested for their effects on RLAR in vitro. Among them, the EtOAc fraction was found to exhibit a potent RLAR inhibition (IC(50)=0.75 microg/ml), from which an active principle as a potent AR inhibitor was isolated and its chemical structure was elucidated as Isorhamnetin-3-O-beta-D-Glucoside (1) by spectral analysis. Compound 1 exhibited a potent RLAR inhibition in vitro, its IC(50) being 1.4 microM. Compound 1, when administered orally at 25 mg/kg in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, caused not only a significant inhibition of serum glucose concentration but also sorbitol accumulation in the lenses, red blood cells (RBC), and sciatic nerves. CONCLUSIONS:These results indicate that compound 1 from S. herbacea is a leading compound for further study as a new drug for the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes and its complications.