Handayani D, Chen J, Meyer BJ, Huang XF (2011). Dietary Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) Prevents Fat Deposition and Lowers Triglyceride in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet. J Obes. 2011(2011):258051.
High-fat diet (HFD) induces obesity. This study examined the effects of Shiitake mushroom on the prevention of alterations of plasma lipid profiles, fat deposition, energy efficiency, and body fat index induced by HFD. Rats were given a low, medium, and high (7, 20, 60 g/kg = LD-M, MD-M, HD-M) Shiitake mushroom powder in their high-fat (50% in kcal) diets for 6 weeks. The results showed that the rats on the HD-M diet had the lowest body weight gain compared to MD-M and LD-M groups (P < 0.05). The total fat deposition was significantly lower (−35%, P < 0.05) in rats fed an HD-M diet than that of HFD group. Interestingly, plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) level was significantly lower (−55%, P < 0.05) in rats on HD-M than HFD. This study also revealed the existence of negative correlations between the amount of Shiitake mushroom supplementation and body weight gain, plasma TAG, and total fat masses.
Kabir Y, Yamaguchi M, Kimura S (1987). Effect of shiitake (Lentinus edodes) and maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms on blood pressure and plasma lipids of spontaneously hypertensive rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 33(5):341-6.
To study the effect of Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) and Maitake (Grifola frondosa) on hypertension, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were fed a diet containing 5% mushroom powder and 0.5% NaCl solution as drinking water for 9 weeks. The dietary mushrooms decreased the blood pressure. The plasma free cholesterol level decreased in Shiitake-fed animals, whereas in Maitake-fed animals the total cholesterol level decreased. There was no difference in the plasma triglyceride and phospholipid levels among the experimental groups. Shiitake feeding resulted in a decrease in VLDL- and HDL-cholesterol whereas Maitake feeding caused a decrease in VLDL-cholesterol only. Plasma LDL-cholesterol was not affected by dietary mushrooms. The results suggest that dietary mushrooms prevent blood pressure increase in hypertension.
Antibacterial effect of the culture fluid of Lentinus edodes mycelium grown in submerged liquid culture
The antimicrobial activity of the culture fluid of Lentinus edodes mycelium grown in submerged liquid culture was tested against some common bacterial species and Candida albicans. The mycelium-free culture fluid was bacteriostatic against Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus megaterium. The substance responsible for the activity was heat-stable, could be extracted with chloroform and had a molecular weight under 10000. These characteristics suggested that the component might be lenthionine, an antibacterial and antifungal sulphur-containing compound. The culture fluid was less toxic to human tissue culture cells than to microbes. The antibacterial activity and toxicity could not be attributed to the same component.
Immunostimulating Activity of Macrophage Treated with Purified Polysaccharides from Liquid Culture and Fruiting Body of Lentinus edodes
Los polisacaridos obtenidos a partir del cuerpo fructífero y del caldo de cultivo libre de Lentinula Edodes son capaces de estimular la activación funcional de macrófagos, evitando la producción de citoquinas.