Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of intracellular mycelium polysaccharides from Pleurotus geesteranus against alcoholic liver diseases

In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of intracellular mycelium polysaccharides from Pleurotus geesteranus (IMPP) to address acute alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). Animal studies have demonstrated that the hepatic parameters of CYP2E1, MPO, TC, ALT, AST and ALP, HDLC, LDL-C and VLDL-C were improved; the inflammatory factor levels, including TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, were decreased; the hepatic ADH and ALDH activities were inhibited; the activities of the antioxidant enzymes SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and T-AOC were enhanced; and the MDA and LPO contents were reduced by IMPP treatment. Furthermore, the liver histopathology confirmed the beneficial effects of IMPP against ALD in mice, demonstrating that IMPP had the potential to remediate alcoholic hepatitis. Besides the properties of typical pyran-type polysaccharides obtained by β-glycosidic bonding rich in fucose, the results demonstrated that IMPP might be used as a functional food and natural medicine for preventing ALD and its complications.