Wood cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis crispa) suppresses the body weight and visceral fat increased by ovariectomy in mice

Sparassis crispa, an edible mushroom, has been reported to show many kinds of physiological functions. The present paper focused on reducing body weight, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat gain in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Using the fruiting body powder of the indoor cultivation S. crispa (IT S. crispa: ITSc), one week after the OVX, ITSc was administered to two OVX groups by per os (p.o). In the sham group, 10 mL/kg water and 10 mL/kg saline were administered by p.o. and subcutaneous adm, respectively. OVX groups were divided into four groups. These treatments were performed on animals 6 days a week for 8 weeks. Subcutaneous and visceral fat measurements were performed under inhalation anesthesia with isoflurane using a Latheta LCT-200 X-ray CT system. The biochemical markers and the mRNA expression levels of the PPARγ, adiponectin, TNF-α, PPARα, and leptin were measured. Significant increases in body weight, fat ratio, and glucose levels were detected in OVX mice compared to sham mice. These increases were significantly blocked by ITSc, but not estradiol. Furthermore, ITSc treatment significantly increased adiponectin and leptin levels in adipose tissue. These results suggest that ITSc improves lipid abnormalities due to the less activity of women's ovary function, excluding estrogen functions.