EFFECTS OF THE SCLEROTIA OF PLEUROTUS TUBERREGIUM ON SERUM LIPID LEVEL OF WISTAR RATS FED WITH HIGH CHOLESTEROL DIET

ABSTRACT
The aim of the research was to check the effect of ethanolic extract of Pleurotus tuberregium on hypercholesterolemic wistar rat. The experiment was conducted for two weeks using 12 adult male wistar rats and the concentration of Pleurotus tuberregium extract used is 500 mg/ml. The animals were divided into four groups; group I was treated with distilled water, group II was treated with Pleurotus tuberregium extract, group III was treated with egg yolk while group IV was treated with Pleurotus tuberregium extract and egg yolk. Group III had the highest level of total cholesterol at 69.3 ± 2.0a while group II had the lowest level of total cholesterol at 62.3 ± 4.4a. The highest triglyceride level was found in group IV at 119.7 ± 10.7a while group II had the lowest triglyceride level at 70.0 ± 1.0a. Group III had the highest HDL level at 32.7 ± 1.5ca while group I had the lowest HDL level at 21.3 ± 2.4a. The LDL level was highest in group I at 23.7 ± 2.2a and lowest in group II at 18.7 ± 2.3a. The result of this study shows that the concentration of the Pleurotus tuberregium extract used caused a reduction in the cholesterol and triglycerides content of the serum, increased the HDL content but has no effect on the LDL content.