title: Elm Tree (Ulmus parvifolia) Bark Bioprocessed with Mycelia of Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) Mushrooms in Liquid Culture: Composition and Mechanism of Protection against Allergic Asthma in Mice.
abstract: Mushrooms can break down complex plant materials into smaller, more digestible and bioactive compounds. The present study investigated the antiasthma effect of an Ulmus parvifolia bark extract bioprocessed in Lentinus edodes liquid mycelium culture (BPUBE) against allergic asthma in chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized/challenged mice. BPUBE suppressed total IgE release from U266B1 cells in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. Inhibitory activity of BPUBE against OVA-specific IgE secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was observed in OVA-sensitized/challenged asthmatic mice. BPUBE also inhibited OVA-specific IgG and IgG1 secretion into serum from the allergic mice, suggesting the restoration of a Th2-biased immune reaction to a Th1/Th2-balanced status, as indicated by the Th1/Th2 as well as regulatory T cell (Treg) cytokine profile changes caused by BPUBE in serum or BALF. Inflammatory cell counts in BALF and lung histology showed that leukocytosis and eosinophilia induced by OVA-sensitization/challenge were inhibited by the oral administration of BPUBE. Amelioration of eosinophil infiltration near the trachea was associated with reduced eotaxin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels. Changes in proinflammatory mediator levels in BALF suggest that BPUBE decreased OVA-sensitization-induced elevation of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2). The finding that asthma-associated biomarker levels of OVA-sensitized/challenged mice were much more inhibited with BPUBE treatment than NPUBE (not-bioprocessed Ulmus parvifolia extract) treatment suggested the production of new bioactive compounds by the mushroom mycelia that may be involved in enhancing the observed antiasthmatic properties. The possible relation of the composition determined by proximate analysis and GC/MS to observed bioactivity is discussed. The results suggest that the elm tree (Ulmus parvifolia) bark bioprocessed with mycelia of shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushrooms has the potential to prevent and/or treat allergic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Ajou University , Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Phil
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: STR Biotech Company, Ltd. , Chuncheon 200-160, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Ajou University , Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture , Albany, California 94710, United States.
authors.forename: Mendel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D017997:Leukotriene C4 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D025282:Mycelium / Q000254:growth & development; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D020942:Shiitake Mushrooms / Q000254:growth & development*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D034403:Ulmus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D017997:Leukotriene C4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: GC/MS; Lentinus edodes; Ulmus parvifolia; allergic asthma prevention; bioactive; biofunctional; bioprocessing; elm tree bark; functional food; mice feeding study; proximate analysis; shiitake mushroom mycelia