OYSTER MUSHROOM (PLEUROTUS-OSTREATUS) DECREASES SERUM AND CHOLESTEROL AND INCREASES CHOLESTEROL 7-ALPHA-HYDROXYLASE FECAL EXCRETION OF NEUTRAL STEROLS AND BILE HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RATS

Wistar rats fed a semisynthetic diet containing 0.3% cholesterol and supplemented with 52 dried whole oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) had reduced serum and liver cholesterol levels by 32 and 55%, respectively, at the end of 8th week of the experiment. The reduction of cholesterol was due to the decreased cholesterol content in very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and in low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Cholesterol concentration in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) increased significantly by 34%. Animals fed the oyster mushroom diet had elevated level of fecal excretion of neutral sterols by 32% and the excretion of bile acids by 55%. Activity of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (a rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol catabolism) was enhanced by 33% and the activity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase was also increased by 13%.