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Abstract The current study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of saffron or cloves alcoholic extract that can decrease or delay selenite induced nuclear cataract in rat pups. The cataract is produced in suckling rat pups by injection subcutaneously with a single dose of sodium selenite (30 μmol /kg b.w). Sixty Albino rat pups weighing 25±4 g and their mothers were housed in animal house of Research Institute of Ophthalmology. After weaning all groups were fed on commercial diet. Rat pubs were divided into six groups: group 1: Normal control, group 2: Sodium selenite-induced cataract, group 3: Normal rat pups treated with saffron alcoholic extract. group 4: Normal rat pups treated with cloves alcoholic extract. Group5: Sodium selenite- induced cataract treated with saffron alcoholic extract. group 6: Sodium selenite induced cataract treated with cloves alcoholic extract. Rat pups were administrated orally saffron alcoholic extract (80 mg/kg b.w daily) and cloves alcoholic extract (100 mg/kg b.w daily) by stomach tube. The progression of cataract in all cataract groups was under observation till the end of the experiment. At the end of the experiment (eight weeks), blood samples were collected to determine reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO). The lenses were homogenized in phosphate IV buffer to determine total proteins (TP), glutathione, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, carbonyl protein (CP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), separation of soluble lenses protein by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were also assayed. The results of slit lamp examination showed, the groups orally administrated on saffron or cloves alcoholic extract manifested a delay maturation of sodium selenite cataract by 60% and 70% respectively. There were a significant reduction in levels of GSH and TP while a highly significant increased were noticed in the levels of MDA, NO, H2O2 and CP in blood and lenses in untreated sodium selenite induced cataract group as compared to normal control group. After treatment with saffron or cloves alcoholic extract, there were a highly significant decrease in MDA, NO, H2O2 and CP in the blood and lenses as compared to untreated sodium selenite induced cataract group. An improvement in the levels of metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were noticed after rats pups administrated with saffron or cloves alcoholic extracts. An increase in DNA tail was seen in cataract and DNA was more or less similar to normal control group after rats administered with saffron or cloves alcoholic extracts. The distribution of lenses protein bands in the sodium selenite induced cataract group V ٫Then treated with saffron or cloves alcoholic extracts nearly similar to that of the normal control lenses. It can be concluded that oral administration of saffron or cloves alcoholic extracts following subcotenous sodium selenite injection is effective in preventing cataractogenesis in rat pups. Key words: Sodium selenite cataract – Reduced glutathione – Nitric oxide – Malondialdehyde – AGEs – DNA – Cloves – Saffron |