Anti-inflammatory Compounds Inhibit Aldose Reductase: A Potential Target for Cancer

Control of diabetic complications including diabetic retinopathy involves suppression of multiple factors; hence the need for multi-target drugs is appreciable. Anti-inflammatory agents could have a dual effect on cancers, one by suppressing cancer mediating pathways, and by inhibiting aldose reductase enzyme (ALR2), proceeding with ALR2 inhibition related changes in curing cancers. 3D quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was built based on the steric fields, hydrophobic and electrostatic fields using Field-Based QSAR which was used to predict the ALR2 inhibiting property of the phytocompounds, Eupalitin-3-O-galactoside, Picroside II, Agnuside and 7-O-Methylwogonin. All anti-inflammatory compounds had IC50 values in nanomolar concentrations, similar to the drug Epalrestat, indicating their capability to be used as multi target drugs in the future.