Cordyceps militaris has long been u

Cordyceps militaris has long been used in prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine
as a tonic for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Cordycepin with proven
immunomodulatory, antitumor, and hepatoprotective properties is the main active
metabolite of C militaris. Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases in which the
body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels. Hence, we hypothesized that cordycepin can
normalize blood sugar levels and improve the indicators of diabetes. The aim of this study
was to investigate the possible effects of cordycepin from C militaris on diabetes in an
alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model. Diabetic mice were intraperitoneally administered
different doses of cordycepin (8, 24, and 72 mg/kg body weight) daily for 21 days. Acute
toxicity test on normal mice was carried out by giving them maximum tolerance dose of
cordycepin (3600 mg/kg) daily. A 47% reduction of the blood glucose level, 214% increase of
hepatic glycogen content, and significant improvement of oral glucose tolerance were
noticed after the effective dose of cordycepin was administered. Polyphagia and polydipsia,
the typical symptoms of diabetes, were partly alleviated. Moreover, cordycepin offered
protective effects against diabetes-related kidney and spleen injury. Maximum tolerance
dose test indicated that cordycepin at the large dose of 3600 mg/kg did not show significant
effect on body weight and major organ in normal mice after intraperitoneal administration
for 14 days. The results showed that cordycepin from C militaris that elicited hypoglycemic
activity contributes to the regulation of glucose metabolism in liver in alloxan-induced
diabetic mice. Therefore, a cordycepin treatment during diabetes can improve some of the
metabolic syndrome symptoms by regulation of glucose absorption in vivo. Cordycepin
may serve as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of diabetes and its related complications.