title: Bioavailability of vitamin D2 from irradiated mushrooms: an in vivo study.
abstract: Vitamin D2 from irradiated edible mushrooms might present a possible dietary source of this vitamin, subject to its bioavailability. Having previously optimized a method for the conversion of ergosterol in mushrooms to vitamin D2, this paper examines the vitamin D-enriched mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) for their bioavailability of the vitamin, using an animal model. Thirty male Wistar rats were fed for 1 week with a diet deficient in vitamin D. After this 1-week period, six rats were randomly selected and killed for analysis of initial bone mineral density, and serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. A group of twelve rats of the test animals received 1 mug of vitamin D2 from irradiated mushrooms for a period of 4 weeks until being killed. The remaining twelve rats were fed un-irradiated mushrooms at the same level to act as controls. At the end of a 4-week period, the mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of the experimental group was 129.42 (sd 22.00) nmol/l whereas it was only 6.06 (sd 1.09) nmol/l in the control group. Femur bone mineral density of the experimental group of animals was significantly higher (P<0.01) than the control group. In addition, serum Ca concentrations among groups were shown to be significantly higher (P<0.01). It may be concluded from the results that vitamin D2 from UV-irradiated mushrooms is well absorbed and metabolized in this model animal system. Significant increase in femur bone mineralization (P<0.01) was shown in the presence of vitamin D2 from irradiated mushrooms compared with the controls.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Food Science & Technology Programme, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543. scip1310@nus.edu.sg
authors: Viraj J
authors: VJ
authors: Jasinghe
authors: Conrad O
authors: CO
authors: Perera
authors: Philip J
authors: PJ
authors: Barlow
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005269:Femur; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004872:Ergocalciferols; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D002118:Calcium