Appraisal of Antihyperlipidemic Activities of Lentinus lepideus in Hypercholesterolemic Rats.
The wild edible mushroom, Lentinus lepideus has recently been cultivated for commercial use in Korea. While the mushroom has been widely used for nutritional and medicinal purposes, the possible anti-hyperlipidemic action is unclear. The effects of dietary L. lepideus on plasma and feces biochemical and on the liver histological status were investigated in hypercholesterolemic rats. Six-wk-old female Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into three groups of 10 rats each. Biochemical and histological examinations were performed. A diet containing 5% L. lepideus fruiting bodies reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, total lipid, phospholipids, and the ratio of low-density to high-density lipoprotein. Body weight was reduced. The diet did not adversely affect plasma biochemical and enzyme profiles. L. lepideus reduced significantly plasma β- and pre-β-lipoprotein, while α-lipoprotein content was increased. A histological study of hepatic cells by conventional hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining revealed normal findings for mushroom-fed hypercholesterolemic rats. The present study suggests that a diet supplemented with L. lepideus can provide health benefits by acting on the atherogenic lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats.
Division of Life Sciences, University of Incheon, Incheon 406-840, Korea.
Ki Nam
KN
Yoon
Jae Seong
JS
Lee
Hye Young
HY
Kim
Kyung Rim
KR
Lee
Pyung Gyun
PG
Shin
Jong Chun
JC
Cheong
Young Bok
YB
Yoo
Nuhu
N
Alam
Tai Moon
TM
Ha
Tae Soo
TS
Lee