Bioactive extracts of fruiting bodies and cultured mycelia biomass of elm Oyster mushroom Hypsizygus ulmarius (Bull.:Fr.) alleviate alcohol-induced hepatic injury in Wistar rats

Hepatic injury is a common presentation of chronic alcohol intake. Alcohol liver diseases lead to a spectrum of diseases, including fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis. Currently, no ideal treatment is available for this condition. Natural products and their derivatives are considered promising hepatoprotective agents. Mushrooms are considered a delicacy and rich source of bioactive compounds. Hence, we examined the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous ethanolic extracts of an edible mushroom, Hypsizygus ulmarius and its cultured mycelia. Hepatic damages were induced by oral administration of ethanol (36%, 2 mL/ 100 g body weight) for 30 days. Silymarin (100 mg/Kg body weight) was used as a standard reference drug. Administration of ethanol significantly elevated serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase. Treatment with the bioactive extracts of fruiting bodies and cultured mycelia significantly down-regulated activities of liver injury maker enzymes and elevated activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione-s-transferase, and reduced the level of malondialdehyde in hepatic tissue. Histopathological observations of hepatic tissue, such as reduction in centrilobular necrosis, fatty infiltration and lymphocytic infiltration, also supported the protective effect of the extracts. The results thus indicated that bioactive extracts of H. ulmarius and its mycelia possessed a significant protective effect against alcohol-induced liver toxicity in Wistar rats. The findings suggested the potential therapeutic use of this edible mushroom for ameliorating alcohol-induced liver injury.