title: Hypocholesterolemic effect of hot-water extract from mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the hypocholesterolemic effect of the hot-water fraction (HW) from cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis in a 5 l fermenter. The composition of HW was mainly carbohydrate (83.9%) and protein (11.8%) on a dry basis, and the carbohydrate of HW consisted of glucose, mannose, galactose, and arabinose in the molecular ratio of 1.0 : 0.8 : 0.5 : 0.1, respectively. In mice fed a cholesterol-free diet and those fed a cholesterol-enriched diet, body and liver weights were not significantly different from those of the controls. The serum total cholesterol (TC) of all mice groups administered HW (150 and 300 mg/kg/d, respectively) with the cholesterol-enriched diet decreased more than in the control group. Among the mice fed the cholesterol-enriched diet, HW also increased the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, but decreased the very low-density lipoprotein plus low-density lipoprotein (VLDL+LDL) cholesterol level. The changes in HDL- and VLDL+LDL-cholesterol levels consequently decreased the atherogenic value. The results indicate that HW in rats administered a cholesterol-enriched diet decreased the plasma cholesterol level. The 300 mg/kg dose had a significant effect on the serum TC level.
authors.affiliation: NEL Biotech Research Institute, NEL Biotech. Co. Ltd., Kyonggido 456-880, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Jin-Man
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Un-Jae
authors.initials: UJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hyung-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002457:Cell Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D032661:Cordyceps / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D025282:Mycelium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002457:Cell Extracts; D014867:Water