Aldose reductase (AR) has been indicated the critical enzyme of the polyol pathway in the development of the diabetic complications. In this study, 119 Vietnamese herbal medicines have been investigated for inhibitory activities on AR. Among them, 7 herbal medicines, Synedrella nodiflora (stems and leaves), Combretum sundaicum (stems and leaves), Argyreia acuta (stems and leaves), Platea latifolia (whole plants), Linociera sangda (whole plants), Rhaphiolepis indica (whole plants), Harrisonia perforata (stems and leaves) and 2 fractions from Harrisonia perforata (stems and leaves) with EtOAc and BuOH, exhibited a significant inhibitory activity against AR. Particularly, S. nodiflora, A. acuta and H. perforata (stems and leaves) showed 1.0-1.8 times more potent inhibitory activity than the positive control, 3,3-tetramethyleneglutaric acid (TMG).