Exploring Therapeutic Potential of Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus Mushrooms against Hyperlipidemia and Oxidative Stress Using Animal Model

Abstract

The mushrooms oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) and white button (Agaricus bisporus) contain bioactive compounds that have potential beneficial effects on hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, hypolipidemic and antioxidative potential of these mushrooms' extract were explored using hypercholesterolemic (HC) rats as animal model. For the study, 56 adult rats were divided into seven groups, i.e., G₁ (negative control), G₂ (positive control group), G₃ (HC rats with statin drug orally), G₄ and G₅ (HC rats @ 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) dose of oyster mushroom extracts), and G₆ and G₇ (HC rats @ 100 and 200 mg/kg BW dose of white button mushroom extracts). The hypercholesterolemia was induced experimentally in fasted rats through a high-fat diet along with injection of triton WR-1339. After 48 h, the treatment groups were given extract for 28 days along with standard diet. At the trial termination, we analyzed the blood sugar levels, antioxidant parameters, lipid profile, and renal function, as well as conducting liver function tests of the rats. The results indicated that positive control group rats exhibited increased levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density level (LDL), and very-low-density level (vLDL) by 19%, 37%, 52%, and 32%, respectively, and 53% decrease in HDL, whereas treatment groups that received 200 mg oyster and white button mushroom extracts reported 15%, 34%, 22% reduction in TC, TG, vLDL, respectively, and 22% improvement in HDL level. The enzyme profiles of different groups showed non-significant differences, although both mushroom extracts provision reduced glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels. Overall, the results indicated that mushroom extracts were helpful in maintaining oxidative stress and have the potential to improve dyslipidemia in the tested rat animal model.

Keywords: Agaricus bisporus; Pleurotus ostreatus; antioxidants; dyslipidemia; hypercholesterolemia; phytochemicals.

Figure 1

Diagram showing experimental design with animal groups subjected to different dietary mushroom intervention.

Figure 2

The graph shows antioxidant parameters, i.e., GPx = glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, relating to G₁ (negative control), G₂ (positive control), G₃ (hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with statin drug orally), G₄ and G₅ (hypercholesterolemia-induced rats provided @ 100 and 200 mg/kg BW dose of oyster mushroom extracts), and G₆ and G₇ (hypercholesterolemia-induced rats given @ 100 and 200 mg/kg BW dose of white button mushroom extracts).

Figure 3

The graph shows the malondialdehyde levels of rats subjected to dietary mushroom extracts relating to G₁ (negative control), G₂ (positive control), G₃ (hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with statin drug orally), G₄ and G₅ (hypercholesterolemia-induced rats provided @ 100 and 200 mg/kg BW dose of oyster mushroom extracts), and G₆ and G₇ (hypercholesterolemia-induced rats given @ 100 and 200 mg/kg BW dose of white button mushroom extracts).

Figure 4

Histopathology of the liver tissues of rats of both control and treatment groups for 4 weeks. (G₁) Control of normal healthy rats, (G₂) control of hypercholesterolemia-induced rats, (G₃) hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with statin drug orally, (G₄) hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with 100 mg/kg treatment dose of oyster mushroom extract, (G₅) hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with 200 mg/kg dose of oyster mushroom extract, (G₆) hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with 100 mg/kg dose of button mushroom extract, and (G₇) hypercholesterolemia-induced rats with 200 mg/kg dose of button mushroom extract.