Oyster Mushrooms Boost Immune Health

INDIANAPOLISMushrooms are well recognized for their culinary properties as well as for their potency to enhance immune response, and now a new study published in Nutrition Journal suggests oyster mushroom have anti-inflammatory properties that fight inflammation.

Researchers at Indiana University evaluated anti-inflammatory properties of an edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) in vitro and in vivo. RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell line and murine splenocytes were incubated with the oyster mushroom concentrate (OMC, 0 to 100 μg/ml) in the absence or presence of lipopolysacharide (LPS) or concanavalin A (ConA), respectively.

OMC suppressed LPS-induced secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-12p40 from RAW264.7 macrophages. OMC inhibited LPS-induced production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) through the down-regulation of expression of COX-2 and iNOS, respectively. OMC also inhibited LPS-dependent DNA-binding activity of AP-1 and NF-kB in RAW264.7 cells. Oral administration of OMC markedly suppressed secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in mice challenged with LPS in vivo. Anti-inflammatory activity of OMC was confirmed by the inhibition of proliferation and secretion of interferon-gamma, IL-2, and IL-6 from concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated mouse splenocytes.