Hypoglycemic activity of the fungi Cordyceps militaris, Cordyceps sinensis, Tricholoma mongolicum, and Omphalia lapidescens in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 72; no. 6; pp. 1152 - 1156
• Main Authors: Zhang, Guoqing, Huang, Yuedong, Bian, Yong, Wong, Jack H, Ng, T. B, Wang, Hexiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01-10-2006; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Agaricales - chemistry; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body weight; Complex Mixtures - administration & dosage; Complex Mixtures - isolation & purification; Complex Mixtures - therapeutic use; Cordyceps - chemistry; Cordyceps sinensis; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Disease Models, Animal; Distilled water; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hypoglycemic Agents - administration & dosage; Hypoglycemic Agents - isolation & purification; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Injection; Male; Polysaccharides - administration & dosage; Polysaccharides - isolation & purification; Polysaccharides - therapeutic use; Rats; Rodents; Streptozocin; Tricholoma; Fungi; Vertebrata; Hypoglycemic agent; Mammalia; Rat; Diabetes mellitus; Rodentia; Basidiomycetes; Tricholoma; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-006-0411-9

Crude extracts were prepared from fruiting bodies and mycelia of the medicinal fungus Cordyceps militaris, and a polysaccharide-enriched fraction was obtained after extraction with hot water and ethanol precipitation. Polysaccharide-enriched fractions were similarly prepared from Cordyceps sinensis, Omphalia lapidescens, and Tricholoma mongolicum. The various aforementioned preparations were orally administered into different groups of adult rats 24 h before an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight), and subsequently daily for another 4 days. The dosage used was 10 mg/kg body weight for polysaccharide-enriched preparations and 100 mg/kg body weight for crude extracts. Control rats received distilled water instead of crude extract or polysaccharide-enriched preparation. It was found in the control rats that plasma glucose level rose from about 90 mg/dl before streptozotocin injection to levels that were maintained at about 300 mg/dl postinjection. All preparations produced hypoglycemic effects. C. militaris polysaccharide-enriched fraction displayed a more prominent effect than that of C. sinensis polysaccharide-enriched fraction which in turn was more potent than that of O. lapidescens and T. mongolicum polysaccharide-enriched fractions. The hypoglycemic effect of C. militaris polysaccharide-enriched fraction was dose-dependent.