Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Pleurotus ostreatus, a Culinary Medicinal Mushroom, in Wistar Rats

الملخص EN

Context.

Pleurotus ostreatus (P.o) is a culinary mushroom which is commonly called as “oyster mushroom” belonging to the Basidiomycetous fungi of the order Agaricales and family Pleurotaceae.

Objectives.

The present study investigates the anti-inflammatory potential of P.o and the underlying mechanisms of activity.

Materials and Methods.

Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using suspensions of freeze-dried and powdered (SFDP) P.o and acetone extract (AE) of P.o in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats using the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model.

The mechanisms by which P.o is mediating the anti-inflammatory activity were studied using in vivo and in vitro assays.

Results.

At doses of 500–1000 mg/kg, the SFDP of P.o showed long-lasting activity at both early and late phases of carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema.

The dose of 750 mg/kg showed the most potent inhibitory activity (92% inhibition) in healthy rats.

The AE of P.o showed maximum inhibition of oedema of 87%.

P.o exerted protective effects on the inflammatory pathologies in rats with diabetes.

The possible mechanisms by which P.o mediates the anti-inflammatory activity were antihistamine activity (52.1%), inhibition of cell migration to the site of inflammation (45.4%), in vitro membrane stabilizing activity (52.6%), and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production (91.2%) (P<0.05).

Dose-dependent inhibition of NO production was seen with in vitro treatment of rat peritoneal cells with AE of P.o (r = 0.95; P<0.05).

Discussion and Conclusion.

The promising activity of culinary mushroom P.o against inflammation suggests its potential application as a functional food during inflammatory conditions.