OYSTER MUSHROOM (PLEUROTUS-OSTREATUS) REDUCES THE ACTIVITY OF 3-HYDROXY-3-METHYLGLUTARYL COA REDUCTASE IN RAT-LIVER MICROSOMES

The effect of dried oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on cholester ol (C) content in serum, in lipoproteins and in liver, and on the acti vity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase in liver mi crosomes, was studied in male rats (strain Wistar, initial body weight 75 g) fed on low-cholesterol (9 mg/100g) and high-cholesterol (0.3%) diets. Addition of 5% oyster mushroom to both diets reduced significan tly the C-content in serum (by 30%), in very-low- and low-density lipo proteins (in a 1:1 ratio to the decrease of total serum C) and in live r (by 50%), as well as the activity of HMG-CoA reductase (by more than 30%).