Shazia Anwer Bukhari¹, Asim Rehman¹, Ali Ihsan¹, Farrukh Tahir², Rehana Ramzan^1,

Hypercholesterolemia is a major metabolic disorder associated with cardiovascular disease, oxidative stress, and impaired immune function, yet effective dietary interventions with mechanistic evidence remain limited. Agaricus bisporus, a member of the Basidiomycota, is recognized for its dietary and medicinal properties. This study assessed its phytochemical composition and its effects on metabolic biomarkers in a hypercholesterolemic rat model. A total of 36 rats were used. Twelve rats were assigned to a control group receiving a chow maintenance diet (CMD), while 24 rats were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet. After induction, these were divided into HC and HCAB groups (n=12 each). The hypercholesterolemia was confirmed through blood samples analyzed for total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL. One hypercholesterolemic group continued the same diet, while the other group received dried A. bisporus powder incorporated into the diet at 5% w/w concentration for an additional 21 days. A. bisporus supplementation significantly reduced total oxidant status and improved HDL cholesterol levels (p<0.05). Additionally, the cell-mediated immune response increased significantly in the A. bisporus-treated group, and the fungus positively influenced key enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and inflammatory markers. A significant improvement was also observed in the expression of metabolic and insulin regulatory genes, indicating the potential of A. bisporus as a therapeutic dietary intervention for hypercholesterolemia, metabolic impairments, and related cardiovascular diseases.

Agaricus bisporus, Antioxidant, Dietary supplementation, Hypercholesterolemic, Immunomodulatory, Metabolic biomarkers, and phytochemical composition