Oral gavage delivery of Cornus officinalis extract delays type 1 diabetes onset and hyperglycemia in non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease initiated by genetic predisposition and environmental influences, which result in the specific destruction of insulin‐producing pancreatic β‐cells. Currently, there are over 1.6 million cases of T1D in the United States with a worldwide incidence rate that has been increasing since 1990. Here, we examined the effect of Cornus officinalis (CO), a well‐known ethnopharmacological agent, on a T1D model of the non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. A measured dose of CO extract was delivered into 10‐week‐old NOD mice by oral gavage for 15 weeks. T1D incidence and hyperglycemia were significantly lower in the CO‐treated group as compared to the water gavage (WT) and a no handling or treatment control group (NHT) following treatment. T1D onset per group was 30%, 60% and 86% for the CO, WT and NHT groups, respectively. Circulating C‐peptide was higher, and pancreatic insulitis was decreased in non‐T1D CO‐treated mice. Our findings suggest that CO may have therapeutic potential as both a safe and effective interventional agent to slow early stage T1D progression.