Effect of Mushroom on the Lipid Profile, Lipid Peroxidation and Liver Functions of Aging Swiss Albino Rats

ABSTRACT

Mushrooms are a manifestation of a common saying, 'Medicines and foods have a common origin', in constituting both a nutritionally functional food and a source of physiologically beneficial medicine. The present studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of dried mushroom and mushroom extract on the lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and liver function of aging Swiss albino rats as compared with L-carnitine.

Male Swiss albino rats of Wister strain of the age of 45 days weighing approximately 320 ± 8 g were used. The animals were fed a basal diet for one week as an adaptation period. The basal diet was formulated including essential ingredients. Water was available ad libitum. The animals were divided to five groups. The first group (control) fed the basal diet. The second and the third groups fed L-carnitine (400 and 800 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively) in 0.9% saline at physiological pH. The fifth and sixth groups were fed 15% dried mushroom and 450 mg/kg body weight/day mushroom extract, respectively. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the experiment and at the end of experiment (4 weeks) from orbital plexus versus by means of fine capillary glass tubes, sera were separated, and lipid profile, lipid peroxidation stage and liver function profile were determined according to the well established methodology after slight modifications.

Mushroom and their extracts were comparable to L-carnitine in controlling lipid peroxidation. Dried mushroom and their extract can improve the antioxidant status during aging and minimize the occurrence of ageassociated disorders as a consequence of the involvement of free radicals. The results obtained from the present studies provide new insights into work to be carried out on histological examination of liver tissues of rats fed basal diet, and may project the congestion of the central vein and infiltration with chronic inflammatory cells. These examinations may also show slight hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes and vacuolations of some hepatocytes and small focal hepatic necrosis.