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Anti-obesity activity of Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) powder in ovariectomized mice, and its potentially active compounds

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Abstract

Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus) improves the symptoms of menopause. In this study, using ovariectomized mice as a model of menopause, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of this mushroom in menopause. Mice fed diets containing H. erinaceus powder showed significant decreases in the amounts of fat tissue, plasma levels of total cholesterol, and leptin. To determine the mechanism, groups of mice were respectively fed a diet containing H. erinaceus powder, a diet containing ethanol extract of H. erinaceus, and a diet containing a residue of the extract. As a result, H. erinaceus powder was found to increase fecal lipid levels in excreted matter. Further in vitro investigation showed that ethanol extract inhibited the activity of lipase, and four lipase-inhibitory compounds were isolated from the extract: hericenone C, hericenone D, hericenone F, and hericenone G. In short, we suggest that H. erinaceus has an anti-obesity effect during menopause because it decreases the ability to absorb lipids.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dr. Yasuko Tanaka, the Center of Advanced Instrumental Analysis, Kyushu University for the HI-EIMS measurements. We appreciate the technical support provided by the Research Support Center, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University. The fruiting body was received from Aso Biotech Co. (Kumamoto, Japan) for free.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

      Eri Hiraki, Shoko Furuta, Rika Kuwahara, Naomichi Takemoto, Toshiro Nagata & Kuniyoshi Shimizu

    2. Center for Advanced Instrumental and Educational Supports, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

      Taiki Akasaka

    3. Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-Ku, 812-8581, Fukuoka, Japan

      Bungo Shirouchi & Masao Sato

    4. Department of Biological and Environmental Chemistry, Kinki University, 11-6 Kayanomori, Iizuka, Fukuoka, 820-8555, Japan

      Koichiro Ohnuki

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    1. Eri Hiraki
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    Correspondence to Kuniyoshi Shimizu.

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    E. Hiraki and S. Furuta equally contributed to this work.

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    11418_2017_1075_MOESM1_ESM.tiff

    Changes in body fat in study 2. Statistical differences between the four groups were assessed with the Tukey–Kramer test. n = 6. Mean ± SEM (TIFF 1521 kb)

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    Hiraki, E., Furuta, S., Kuwahara, R. et al. Anti-obesity activity of Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) powder in ovariectomized mice, and its potentially active compounds. J Nat Med 71, 482–491 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-017-1075-8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-017-1075-8

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