Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) reduces the production and secretion of very low density lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemic rats.

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) reduced the production and secretion of nascent very low density lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemic rats. In male Wistar rats (initial body weight about 70 g) fed a semisynthetic diet with 0.3% of cholesterol, the addition of 5% of powdered oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) to the diet reduced after 8 weeks the level of serum cholesterol (by 36%) and accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides in liver (by 51 and 32%, respectively). The decreased levels of serum cholesterol were caused to the same extent by reduction of cholesterol content in very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and in low density lipoproteins (LDL) (by 53 and 47%, respectively). Biosynthesis of all structural lipids of VLDL (phospholipids, cholesterol, triglycerides) in liver and incorporation of de novo synthesized lipids into secreted nascent VLDL (measured by simultaneous application of Na-acetate-1-14 C and Triton WR 1339 which inhibits peripheral lipolysis) was reduced by application of diet with oyster mushroom.