THE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECT OF 2 EDIBLE MUSHROOMS - AURICULARIA-AURICULA (TREE-EAR) AND TREMELLA-FUCIFORMIS (WHITE JELLY-LEAF) IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RATS

The effect of two edible mushrooms, namely Auricularia auricula (Tree- ear) and Tremella fuciformis (White jelly-leaf) of the Heterobasidiae, on serum and liver lipids, fecal neutral steroids and bile acid excre tion was investigated in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed two s emisynthetic hypercholesterolemic diets (1.5% cholesterol, 5% fat) eac h containing 5% dried powder of the two mushrooms. After 4 wk of mushr oom diet consumption, the serum total cholesterol concentration was si gnificantly decreased in both A. auricula and T. fuciformis diet group s (17 and 19%, respectively). Similar significant decrease in serum LD L cholesterol level was observed (24 and 31%, respectively). There was no significant difference found in serum HDL cholesterol concentratio n and the amount of liver total cholesterol and total lipids among the two mushroom diet groups and the control group. Only animals fed T. f uciformis diet had a significant decrease in serum triacylglycerol lev el. Animals fed A, auricula diet had a significant increase in the lev els of fecal neutral steriods and bile acids by 39 and 46%, respective ly. T. fuciformis diet also increased significantly the fecal excretio n of neutral steroids and bile acids in rats by 51 and 36%, respective ly. In the present study, both mushrooms had effective hypocholesterol emic activity in rats.