OYSTER MUSHROOM (PLEUROTUS-OSTREATUS) DECREASES SERUM AND CHOLESTEROLAND 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 s upplemented with 52 dried whole oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) had reduced serum and liver cholesterol levels by 32 and 55%, respecti vely, at the end of 8th week of the experiment. The reduction of chole sterol was due to the decreased cholesterol content in very-low-densit y lipoproteins (VLDL) and in low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Cholester ol concentration in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) increased signific antly 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-lim iting enzyme of cholesterol catabolism) was enhanced by 33% and the ac tivity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase was also increased by 1 3%.