Antiatherosclerotic effect of the edible mushrooms Pleurotus eryngii (Eringi), Grifola frondosa (Maitake), and Hypsizygus marmoreus (Bunashimeji) in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

In the present study, we examined the antiatherosclerotic effects of 3 edible mushrooms, Pleurotus eryngii (Eringi), Grifola frondosa (Maitake), and Hypsizygus marmoreus (Bunashimeji), in atherosclerosis-susceptible C57BL/6J, apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice. Male apoE(-/-) mice (6 weeks of age) were fed a normal diet (cholesterol concentration <66 mg/100 g) or a normal diet containing 3% dried Eringi, Maitake, or Bunashimeji mushroom powder for 10 weeks. Food intake, body weight, serum total cholesterol (TC), and serum triacylglycerols (TG) were measured periodically during the experimental period. At the end of the experiment (at 16 weeks of age), the atherosclerotic lesion area was measured in cross-sections of the aortic root. Serum TC concentrations in the Bunashimeji group were significantly lower than that in the control group at 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks of age. Serum TC concentrations in the Eringi, and Maitake groups were significantly lower than that in the control group only at 12 weeks of age. There was no significant difference in the serum TG concentrations in all groups during the experimental period. The atherosclerotic lesions were significantly decreased in the Eringi, Maitake, and Bunashimeji groups than that in the control group at the end of the experiment. Dietary supplementation with the Bunashimeji mushroom powder had the strongest antiatherosclerotic effect among 3 mushrooms. In conclusion, supplementation of the 3 edible mushrooms prevents the development of atherosclerosis, even normal diet. Antiatherosclerotic effect is partly via lowering of serum TC concentrations; further mechanisms should be investigated.