Aldose reductase inhibitory activity of quercetin from the stems of Rhododendron mucronulatum for. Albiflorum

Abstract

The methanol extract of Rhododendron mucronulatum for. albiflorum (RMFA) stems inhibited aldose reductase (AR) activity. The RMFA fractions obtained by stepwise extraction with solvents of different polarity were tested for AR inhibition in vitro using the lens of a rat. Among them, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction inhibited AR more than the other fractions. Quercetin (1) from the EtOAc fraction showed a high AR inhibition with IC50 of 2.11 μM. The stems of RMFA contained the highest amount (5.12 mg/g extract) of quercetin. Our results suggest that RMFA, which contained quercetin, could be a useful material for the development of supplementary functional foods.