Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT ALKALOIDS IN DENDROBIUM NOBILE EXTRACTS ON OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN CATARACT LENS EPITHELIAL CELLS

MENG SUN 1, LILI LIU 2, RUI HUANG 3, YANJING ZHAO 4*

1 Department of Ophthalmology, Aier Eye Hospital of Mudanjiang, Mudanjiang City 157000, Heilongjiang Province, China
2 Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hongqi Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang City 157011, Heilongjiang Province, China
3 Department of Academic Theory Research, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang City 157011, Heilongjiang Province, China
4 Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang City 157011, Heilongjiang Province, China

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Cataracts, a leading cause of acquired blindness, are associated with apoptosis of lens epithelial cells (LEC). This study investigates the mechanisms by which alkaloids extracted from Dendrobium nobile, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, inhibit oxidative stress in LECs. Alkaloids were fractionated into four groups: fat-soluble alkaloids (FSA), weakly polar alkaloids (WPA), low-polarity alkaloids (LPA) and water-soluble alkaloids (WSA). Optimal extraction conditions were determined. Samples were collected from 10 cataract patients and 10 individuals with normal lenses, and LECs were isolated and cultured. An oxidative damage model was induced using 500 μmol/L H₂O₂, and alkaloid fractions were applied at 20 μg/mL. Apoptosis and proliferation were assessed via flow cytometry, while oxidative stress markers (GSH-Px, SOD, MDA) and protein expression (Bcl-2, Bax, p38 MAPK, p-JNK) were analyzed by ELISA and Western blot. Compared to normal LECs, cataract and oxidative stress models exhibited higher apoptosis, decreased GSH-Px/SOD and elevated MDA. Treatment with alkaloid fractions, particularly WSA, significantly reduced apoptosis, increased proliferation, restored oxidative balance and suppressed p38 MAPK/JNK pathway activation. These findings suggest Dendrobium nobile alkaloids effectively mitigate oxidative damage and apoptosis in cataract-affected LECs, with WSA demonstrating the most potent anti-oxidative effects.