Abstract: Objective:To investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects of maize yellow pigment on cataract of rats. Methods: The experiment was conducted by inducing the cataract of rats with galactose and raising the rats with maize yellow pigment. The turbidity of ocular lens was observed, and the level of SOD (superoxide dismutase) of ocular lens and MDA were determined. In the first 30 days of the experiment, model group has 81.25 % of ocular lens reaching phase Ⅲ of cataract already, and maize yellow pigment groups have no ocular lens reaching phase Ⅲ of cataract, however, only 31.25 % and 43.75 % of ocular lens reach aseⅡof cataract. The results showed that maize yellow pigment can delay the progress of cataract of rats and diminish turbidity of ocular lens effectively. Compared with model group, biochemical indexes indicated that the SOD activities of eye crystalline lens of maize yellow pigment groups increase by 40.55%～50.02%, and MDA contents decrease by 31.84 %～38. 89 %. The results showed that maize yellow pigment can raise the SOD content of eye crystalline lens, and reduce the MDA content in it. That means that it can lessen lipid peroxide damage of eye crystalline lens. Conclusion:Maize yellow pigment has the function of antioxidant defense system that protects crystalline lens. And it can delay and control the formation of cataract, and also prevent and cure the early cataract.

Key words: cataract, maize yellow pigment, galactose, SOD, MDA