RT Journal Article ID 28e8c12962efad64 A1 Hong, Ki Bae A1 Hong, Sung-Yong A1 Joung, Eun Young A1 Kim, Byung Hee A1 Bae, Song-Hwan A1 Park, Yooheon A1 Suh, Hyung Joo T1 Hypocholesterolemic Effects of the Cauliflower Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Sparassis crispa (Higher Basidiomycetes), in Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemic Rats JF International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms JO IJM YR 2015 FD 2016-01-07 VO 17 IS 10 SP 965 OP 975 K1 medicinal mushrooms K1 Sparassis crispa K1 hypercholesterolemia K1 cholesterol K1 cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase K1 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A AB The cauliflower culinary-medicinal mushroom, Sparassis crispa, possesses various biological activities that have been widely reported to have therapeutic applications. We examined the effects of S. crispa on serum cholesterol, hepatic enzymes related to cholesterol metabolism, and fecal sterol excretion in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet for 4 weeks. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 6 mice per group): normal diet (normal control [NC]), cholesterol-rich diet (cholesterol control [CC]), cholesterol-rich diet plus S. crispa fruiting body (SC), cholesterol-rich diet plus S. crispa extract (SCE), and cholesterol-rich diet plus S. crispa residue (SCR). SCE supplementation significantly enhanced hepatic cholesterol catabolism through the upregulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression (2.55-fold compared with that in the NC group; P < 0.05) and the downregulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase mRNA expression (0.57-fold compared with that in the NC group; P < 0.05). Additionally, the SCE diet resulted in the highest fecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acid in hypercholesterolemic rats. In conclusion, mRNA expression of CYP7A1 and HMG-CoA reductase were significantly modulated by the absorption of SCE samples. Also, SCE samples had a significant effect on fecal bile acid and cholesterol excretion. These results suggest that SCE samples can induce hypocholesterolic effects through cholesterol metabolism and the reduction of circulating cholesterol levels. PB Begell House LK https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/708ae68d64b17c52,2fb21a9c4fd053ea,28e8c12962efad64.html