15E-9 |
The hypolipidemic effect of some lesser-known edible and medicinal mushrooms |
M. YEUNG, SR. and P. C. K. Cheung. Biology Dept., Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China Nowadays as fat intake in human diet is increasing, the hypolipidemic effect of various types of fruits and vegetables are more and more concerned by people. Among them are oats, legumes, and some types of edible mushrooms- such as Lentinus edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, and etc. Studies have shown that they all can greatly decrease the plasma total cholesterol (TC) level- especially the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level- and hepatic cholesterol level. Furthermore, as a common western cuisine, P. ostreatus (Oyster mushroom) contains dietary fiber that can significantly enhance the turnover rate of plasma cholesterol and the rate of fecal bile acid excretion. Molecular biology has also been applied to study the mechanisms of the hypolipidemic effect of mushrooms. It has been found that rats fed mushroom fiber diet have a significant increase in their hepatic LDL receptor mRNA. Others have shown that dried Oyster mushroom diet can greatly reduce the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase in rat liver microsomes. Research on isolating the active ingredients in mushroom is rare and its detailed hypocholesterolemic mechanisms remain largely unknown. This research topic focuses on the investigation of lipid- and cholesterol-lowering compounds in some lesser-known edible and medicinal mushrooms with potential commercial value such as Pleurotus eryugii, Pleurotus eryngii var.nebrodensis, Agaricus blazei, Hericium erinaceus, Agrocybe chaxinggu and so on. Preliminary screening of these mushrooms was based on mushroom diets fed male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the blood lipid profiles, hepatic cholesterol, fecal neutral sterols and bile acid excretion. After comparison to blank control group and positive control group, the mushroom species with outstanding hypolipidemic effect was chosen for detailed analysis of their chemical components in search of the active ingredients. Our results will contribute to develop a new direction to seeking lipid- and cholesterol-lowering mushrooms.
Session 15E, Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods I
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