Hypolipidemic effect of the edible mushroom Agaricus blazei in rats subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet.

Miranda, Aline Mayrink de; Ribeiro, Gustavo Meirelles; Cunha, Aureliano Claret da; Silva, Lorena Souza e; Santos, Rinaldo Cardoso dos; Pedrosa, Maria Lúcia; Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio

Hypolipidemic effect of the edible mushroom Agaricus blazei in rats subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet.

Date

2014

Authors

Miranda, Aline Mayrink de

Ribeiro, Gustavo Meirelles

Cunha, Aureliano Claret da

Silva, Lorena Souza e

Santos, Rinaldo Cardoso dos

Pedrosa, Maria Lúcia

Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio

Abstract

The effects of Agaricus blazei intake on the lipid profile of animals fed a hypercholesterolemic diet were evaluated. Thirty-two female Fisher rats were divided into four groups and given the standard AIN- 93 M diet (C), this diet+1 % A. blazei (CAb), a hypercholesterolemic diet with 25 % soybean oil and 1%cholesterol (H) or this diet+1%A. blazei (HAb) for 6 weeks. Food intake, weight gain, liver and serum lipid profiles, activity of aminotransferases [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)], and creatinine and urea levels as well as abdominal fat weight were measured. Histological analysis of kidney and liver tissue was also performed. The HAb group had a higher food intake, but a lower weight gain as compared to group H. This resulted in a significant decrease in abdominal fat weight, to values close to those of groups C and CAb. Supplementing the hypercholesterolemic diet with A. blazei promoted a significant reduction in total and non-HDL cholesterol, as well as in the atherogenic index, as compared to group H, and this effect was more pronounced in the serum. There was no hepatotoxic effect caused by the supplementation of the diets with the mushroom. We conclude that in our experimental model and in the concentration used, A. blazei was effective in improving the lipid profile of the animals.

Keywords

Agaricus blazei, Cholesterol, Functional food, Hypercholesterolemia

Citation

MIRANDA, A. M. de et al. Hypolipidemic effect of the edible mushroom Agaricus blazei in rats subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet. Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, v. 70, p. 215 - 224, 2013. Disponível em: <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13105-013-0295-y>. Acesso em: 29 jan. 2017.