Effect of two mushroom varieties intake on serum triglycerides, cholesterol fractions and serum glucose levels in Albino rats

The present investigation was carried out in an attempt to assess the effect of nutrition with the two studied mushroom varieties namely, (Agaricus bisporus) and (Pleurotus ostreatus) on triglycerides and cholesterol fractions levels in albino rats, namely: total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and glucose content in the blood serum of the experimental albino rats after feeding with the four studied mushroom varieties such 10% (Agaricus bisporus), 10% (Pleurotus ostreatus), 5% (Agaricus bisporus)and 5% (Pleurotus ostreatus). The experiment included (56) males white albino rats (Sprague dawley strain) weighing between (100 – 120 g) divided into 6 groups with every group included 6 rats. Rats were housed individually in wire cages under the normal laboratory conditions and fed on the basal diet for a week as adaptation period. Daily administrations were continued for two successive periods (6) weeks each. In the first period one group was used as control and was fed on basal diet, including casein (12.5%), corn oil (10%), vitamin mixture (1%), salt mixture (3.5%), cellulose (5%), choline chloride (0.2%) and corn starch (67.8%). While, the other five groups were fed hyperlipidemic diet including (basal diet supplemented by 10% animal fat excluding 10% corn plus 1% cholesterol). In the second period, one group of hyperlipidiemic rats was fed on hyperlipidemic diet supplemented with different levels of the two studied mushroom varieties (Agaricus bisporus) and (Pleurotus ostreatus). Blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital sinus under rat eye in a clean sterile centrifuge tube by the end of the experiment. Samples were tightly kept in a sealed aliquot tube at -20oC until biochemical assays. There were significant differences between untreated group and all other (5) studied groups of the experimental rats (P < 0.05) in the serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and serum glucose levels, while group (3) (treated group fed on hyperlipidemic diet plus 10% Agaricus bisporus) recorded the lowest mean. Key Words: Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), (Pleurotus ostreatus), triglycerides, cholesterol, hyperlipidemic and glucose.