Antidiabetic Potential of Polysaccharides from the White Oyster Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus florida (Higher Basidiomycetes)

This study was designed to examine the antihyperglycemic potential of the polysaccharide fraction of Pleurotus florida. Hyperglycemia was induced by streptozotocin (50 mg/kg intraperitoneal). Single- and multiple-dose studies were performed to assess the antihyperglycemic potential of the P. florida polysaccharides (PFPs). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guideline 423 was followed to study the acute toxicity of PFP. PFP was found to be nontoxic up to 4000 mg/kg. In this investigation, 200- and 400-mg/kg doses of PFP were used. Blood glucose, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, urine glucose and ketones, and glycosylated hemoglobin were estimated, and biological markers were determined. Treatment with PFP (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly lowered glucose concentrations compared to the control group. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and urine glucose and ketones in animals treated with PFP also decreased. There was a significant decrease in the concentrations of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, whereas concentrations of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione were restored. Therefore, these results suggest that PFPs may ameliorate hyperglycemia and hypercholesteremia associated with diabetes. Thus PFPs could be used as adjunct therapy along with first-line therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.