α-Crystallin is a lens protein that contains two homologous subunits: αA- and αB-crystallins. α-Crystallin displays chaperone-like activity and plays an important role in maintaining lens transparency. It has been noted that in diabetic conditions of rats there is a decline in the chaperone activity of α-Crystallin. Research has shown that a dietary antioxidant, curcumin, can prevent this loss of chaperone activity.
