LAUSR

Abstract A diet high in fat content is one of the contributing factors to developing cardiovascular diseases, which are the main cause of death worldwide. The ethanolic extract of Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quel (Grey Oyster mushroom) prepared using ultrasound (50 min, 140 W) was previously shown to possess in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in the cellular model using murine macrophage cells (RAW 264.7). However, no studies have explored the in vivo effects of the extract in animal models. In this context, in this study, Wistar-Kyoto rats were fed with a high-fat diet to develop metabolic syndromes. The rats were simultaneously treated with the ultrasonic extract of P. pulmonarius. The acute oral toxicity test showed that the extract was non-toxic towards Wistar-Kyoto rats. Rats treated with the ultrasound extract of P. pulmonarius at a high dose (500 mg/kg bw) had decreased total cholesterol and triglyceride, at 2.20 mmol/L and 0.41 mmol/L, respectively. These rats had elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of 2.24 mmol/L. The rats treated with a high dose of P. pulmonarius extract had lowered lipid peroxidation, with MDA levels of only 6.34 mmol/mg LDL, and had inhibited inflammatory biomarkers, NF-κB2 (0.62 ng/mL), STAT3 (0.48 ng/mL), and CREB1 (1.40 pmol/mL). This is the first report demonstrating in vivo effects of the ultrasound extract of P. pulmonarius. It illustrates the hypolipidaemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of the ultrasound extract of P. pulmonarius. Also, it exhibits its effectiveness in reducing the negative effects of a high-fat diet in Wistar-Kyoto rats.