ABSTRACT
L-Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid and its deficiency is involved in various pathologies. In this present investigation an attempt was made to study the role of tryptophan and its metabolites in cataract formation in wistar rats. Rats were divided and maintained in 3 groups, Group A--control; Group B--marginal-tryptophan and Group C--Tryptophan-deficient diet for 3 months. Slit lamp microscope observations indicated lenticular opacities in Group-C (tryptophan-deficient) rats. In the rats that were maintained on tryptophan deficient diet, a decrease in protein content, kynurenines, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-s-tranferase (GSTs) and tryptophan-fluorescence intensities and an increase in lipid peroxidation indicative of oxidative stress have been observed. The above changes were normalized in the rats on supplementation of 0.05% tryptophan (Group-B) in their diets. These results suggest that tryptophan-deficiency in the diet leads to an overall significant decrease in kynurenines and levels of antioxidant enzymes (except SOD) in ocular tissue with a concomitant lenticular opacification. The results suggest that diet with adequate tryptophan has protective influence and is of immense benefit in mitigating the changes that may otherwise contribute to the lenticular opacities.