Ameliorative effect of Lentinus squarrosulus mycomeat against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection using albino rat as animal model

Abstract

The increasing awareness of inherent therapeutic and prophylactic benefits of some higher fungi and their products has been the recent trend for improving a healthy vigour. Mycomeat is a mushroom derived ‘meat-like’ product produced using solid state fermentation technique. Previous research in this group revealed mycomeat as a potentially useful neutraceutical. This study seeks to explore the potential of mycomeat as a therapeutic agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Three concentrations (83.3, 166.6 and 250 mg/kg body weight) of powdered mycomeat were prepared and administered to P. aeruginosa infected wistar rats. Morphological appearance and behavior of the rats were used as the assessment method for adverse reactions. After a period of 26 days, the rats were sacrificed with the liver, spleen and testes aseptically excised for histopathological analysis, the sperm count and sperm motility assay was carried out. Histopathological analysis revealed the testis of therapeutic group administered with 83.3 mg/kg as having a normal seminiferous tubule, while other organs were adversely affected. The group administered with 166 mg/kg of mycomeat has a normal hepatocyte, normal seminiferous tubule and splenic cells. Results from the therapeutic group were consistently better than the prophylactic group. The untreated group showed anomaly in the three organs inspected. The sperm count but not motility was significantly higher in the treated group than that observed in the positive and negative control group. This study was able to establish that mycomeat could be used to preserve body organs, at a dose of 166 mg/kg body weight. It can also be used as a birth control neutracetical for males.

Keywords: Mushroom, Lentinus subnudus, histopathology, birth control, fertility