Background and purpose: Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Nowadays, there is increasing interest in natural products for the treatment of diabetes. This study was done to investigate the effect of hydroalcholic extract of Cynodon dactylon on the biochemical aspects and histopahtological changes of pancreas in experimental autoimmune diabetes in C57bl/6 mice.

Materials and methods: After stabilization of diabetes, mice were allocated in three therapeutic groups (n=10 per group) and orally treated with hydroalcholic extract of C. dactylon (100, 200 and 400 mg/Kg) for two constitutive weeks. The mice were euthanized at day 14 post streptozotocin administration and pancreases were collected and applied for histopathology. Furthermore, the levels of serum fasting blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol level were measured in 7 and 14 days after final streptozotocin dose. Nonparametric data (histopathological scores) were compared by Mann-Whitney U-test. Other parametric data were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test.

Results: The results indicated a significant decrease in the levels of fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol compared to control group. Moreover, treatment with C. dactylon significantly decreased the levels of leukocyte infiltration in the treatment group compared to diabetes mice without treatment.

Conclusion: It seems that hydroalcholic extract C. dactylon may have a therapeutic effect against destruction of &betaeta cells and insulitis in the animal model of type I diabetes. Thus, it may be a promising strategy to control this disease in human.