Sarcodon aspratus Extract Ameliorates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mouse Colon and Mesenteric Lymph Nodes.

Mushrooms have been previously investigated for their immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory properties. We examined whether the anti-inflammatory properties of Sarcodon aspratus ethanol extract (SAE) could elicit protective effects against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in vivo. Male C57/BL6 mice were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: control (CON; n = 8), DSS-treated (DSS; n = 9), DSS+SAE at 50 mg/kg BW (SAE50; n = 8), and DSS+SAE at 200 mg/kg BW groups (SAE200; n = 9). DSS treatment induced significant weight loss, which was significantly recovered by SAE200. Although SAE did not affect DSS-mediated reductions in colon length, it improved diarrhea and rectal bleeding induced by DSS. SAE at 200 mg/kg BW significantly attenuated IL-6 and enhanced IL-10 expression in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and significantly reduced IL-6 levels in splenocytes. SAE200 also significantly attenuated DSS-induced increase in IL-6 and IL-1β, and reductions in IL-10 in colon tissue. High levels of SAE were also observed to significantly decrease inflammatory COX-2 expression that was upregulated by DSS in mice colon. These findings may have relevance for novel therapeutic strategies to mitigate inflammatory bowel disease-relevant inflammatory responses, via the direct and indirect anti-inflammatory activity of SAE. We also found that SAE harbors significant quantities of total fiber and β-glucan, suggesting a possible role for these components in protection against DSS-mediated colitis.