Cornelian Cherry Pulp Has Beneficial Impact on Dyslipidemia and Reduced Bone Quality in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Fruits of Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) are often used as an antidiabetic supplement mainly due to their hypoglycemic properties. A very important aspect and secondary complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents diabetic bone disease. In our study, the impacts of Cornus mas pulp on lipid profile and bone quality parameters were evaluated in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats as a well-matched T2DM animal model. We demonstrated, for the first time, that Cornelian cherry pulp could be used as a potential therapeutic agent to alleviate T2DM-reduced bone quality and impaired bone health. Moreover, the hypolipidemic effect of this fruit was also confirmed in our study. ABSTRACT: Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) is a medicinal plant with a range of biological features. It is often used as a nutritional supplement in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Our study was aimed to first investigate the effects of Cornelian cherry pulp on bone quality parameters in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. Moreover, lipid-lowering properties of this fruit were also evaluated. Adult rats (n = 28) were assigned into four groups of seven individuals each: L group (non-diabetic lean rats), C group (diabetic obese rats), and E1 and E2 groups (diabetic obese rats receiving 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of Cornelian cherry pulp, respectively, for 10 weeks). Significantly lower levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase activity were determined in the E2 group versus the C group. A higher dose of Cornus mas also had a beneficial impact on femoral weight, cortical bone thickness, relative volume of trabecular bone and trabecular thickness. We observed elevated density of Haversian systems and accelerated periosteal bone apposition in both treated groups (E1 and E2). Our results clearly demonstrate that Cornelian cherry pulp has a favorable effect on lipid disorder and impaired bone quality consistent with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a suitable animal model.