Yeung Ming. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-162). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / THESIS COMMITTEE --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii / ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) --- p.iii~v / ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.vi~vii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.viii~xiii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xiv~xv / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xvi~xviii / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.xix~xx / Chapter CHAPTER ONE: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Different lipoproteins and their functions --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Chylomicrons --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- VLDL --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- LDL --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- HDL --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2 --- Risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Background information of CHD --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- "Relationship between serum total cholesterol (TC), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and CHD" --- p.7 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and CHD --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Triglyceride and CHD --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Cholesterol homeostasis --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Roles of HMG-CoA reductase in cholesterol biosynthesis --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Roles of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A) in cholesterol catabolism…… --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) --- p.17 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Related hormone --- p.18 / Chapter 1.4 --- Possible mechanisms of hypolipidemic agents --- p.19 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Hypolipidemic functional foods --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Pharmacological drugs --- p.26 / Chapter 1.5 --- Edible and medicinal mushrooms --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- General introduction --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Hypolipidemic agents from Fungi --- p.31 / Chapter 1.6 --- Animal model --- p.35 / Chapter 1.7 --- Objectives --- p.36 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO: --- MATERIALS AND METHODS --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1 --- Materials --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Mushroom samples and control --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.1.1 --- Sample introduction --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.1.2 --- Sample collection --- p.40 / Chapter 2.1.1.3 --- Sample preparation --- p.41 / Chapter 2.1.1.4 --- Moisture content --- p.45 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Animal diets for different experiments --- p.45 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Basal diet --- p.45 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Diet for preliminary screening --- p.46 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Diet for dosage experiment --- p.46 / Chapter 2.1.2.4 --- Diet for active ingredient experiments --- p.47 / Chapter 2.1.2.5 --- Diet for long-term feeding experiment --- p.47 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Animal model --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2 --- Methods --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Nutritional components of mushroom samples --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.1.1 --- Crude protein content (Kjeldahl method) --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.1.2 --- Total dietary fiber content --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.1.3 --- Crude lipid content --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.1.4 --- Ash content --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.1.5 --- Moisture content --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Animal handling experiments --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Feeding experiment standards --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.2.1.1 --- Feeding experiments of preliminary screening test --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.2.1.2 --- Feeding experiments of dosage test --- p.55 / Chapter 2.2.2.1.3 --- Feeding experiments of solvent extracts from Agrocybe aegerita (Brig) Sing (AA) --- p.56 / Chapter 2.2.2.1.3.1 --- Fractionation of ethanol & water soluble components of AA --- p.56 / Chapter 2.2.2.1.3.2 --- Feeding experiments of ethanol & water soluble components of AA --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.2.1.4 --- Feeding experiment of long-term test --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Blood sample collection --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Serum preparation --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- Liver sample preparation --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.2.5 --- Fecal sample preparation --- p.59 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Determination of serum lipid profiles --- p.59 / Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Serum total cholesterol (TC) assay --- p.59 / Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Serum triglyceride (TG) assay --- p.60 / Chapter 2.2.3.3 --- Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol assay --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.3.3.1 --- Separation of HDL fraction --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.3.3.2 --- HDL cholesterol (HDL-c) determination --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Determination of liver lipid profiles --- p.62 / Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Liver total cholesterol (TC) level determination --- p.62 / Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Determination of liver total lipid (TL) level --- p.64 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Quantitative determination of fecal neutral & acidic sterols --- p.64 / Chapter 2.2.5.1 --- Separation of fecal neutral & acidic sterols --- p.64 / Chapter 2.2.5.2 --- Derivatisation of fecal neutral sterols --- p.65 / Chapter 2.2.5.3 --- Derivatisation of fecal acidic sterols --- p.65 / Chapter 2.2.5.4 --- Gas chromatographic analysis of fecal neutral & acidic sterols --- p.66 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Assays of liver key enzymes in cholesterol metabolism --- p.67 / Chapter 2.2.6.1 --- Preparation of hepatic microsome --- p.67 / Chapter 2.2.6.2 --- Assay of HMG-CoA reductase activity --- p.68 / Chapter 2.2.6.3 --- Assay of CYP7A activity --- p.69 / Chapter 2.3 --- Data statistics --- p.71 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE: --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION --- p.72 / Chapter 3.1 --- Preliminary screening of eleven mushrooms for their hypolipidemic effect in hyperlipidemic S.D. rats --- p.72 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Body weight and food intake --- p.73 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Effect of mushroom supplementation on serum lipid profiles --- p.75 / Chapter 3.1.2.1. --- Effect of mushroom supplementation on serum TC levels --- p.75 / Chapter 3.1.2.2. --- Effect of mushroom supplementation on serum TG levels --- p.77 / Chapter 3.1.2.3. --- Effect of mushroom supplementation on serum HDL levels --- p.79 / Chapter 3.1.2.4 --- Discussion of serum lipid profiles of S.D. rats fed M.S. diets in mushroom screening experiments --- p.83 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Effect and discussion of mushroom supplementation on hepatic lipid profiles --- p.84 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Effect and discussion of mushroom supplementation on fecal neutral sterol excretion --- p.87 / Chapter 3.1.5 --- Summary (mushroom screening experiments) --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2 --- Hypolipidemic effect of Agrocybe aegerita (Brig.) Sing (AA) in a dose response study in hyperlipidemic S.D. rats --- p.91 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Nutritional composition of AA mushroom --- p.91 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Body weight and food intake --- p.91 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Effect of three different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation on blood lipid profiles of S.D. rats --- p.93 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Effect of different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation diets on serum TC level --- p.93 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Effect of different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation diets on serum TG level --- p.93 / Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- Effect of different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation diets on serum HDL level --- p.95 / Chapter 3.2.3.4 --- Discussion of different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation diets on serum lipid profiles --- p.97 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Effect and discussion of three different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation on hepatic lipid profiles --- p.98 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Effect and discussion of three different dosages of AA mushroom supplementation on fecal neutral & acidic sterol excretion --- p.101 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Summary (dose response study) --- p.105 / Chapter 3.3 --- Hypolipidemic effect of ethanol extract (E.E.) & water extract (W.E.) from AA in hyperlipidemic S.D. rats --- p.106 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Extraction yield --- p.106 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Body weight & food intake --- p.106 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Effect of AA extract supplementation on serum lipid profiles --- p.107 / Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- Effect of AA extract supplementation on serum TC level --- p.107 / Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Effect of AA extract supplementation on serum TG level --- p.108 / Chapter 3.3.3.3 --- Effect of AA extract supplementation on serum HDL level --- p.109 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Effect of AA extract supplementation on hepatic lipid profiles --- p.111 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- Effect of AA extract supplementation on fecal neutral & acidic sterols excretion --- p.111 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- Discussion (active fraction extract study) --- p.113 / Chapter 3.4 --- Long-term evaluation of the hypolipidemic effect of AA supplementation in normolipic S.D. rats --- p.116 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Body weight & food intake --- p.116 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on serum lipid profiles --- p.117 / Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on serum TC level --- p.117 / Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on serum TG level --- p.118 / Chapter 3.4.2.3 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on serum HDL level --- p.119 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on hepatic lipid profiles --- p.119 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on fecal neutral & acidic sterols excretion --- p.121 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on hepatic key enzymes of cholesterol metabolism ´ؤ HMG-CoA reductase and CYP7A --- p.123 / Chapter 3.4.5.1 --- Quantitation of hepatic microsomal protein --- p.123 / Chapter 3.4.5.2 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on HMG-CoA reductase activity in S.D. rats --- p.124 / Chapter 3.4.5.3 --- Effect of long term AA supplementation on CYP7A activity in S.D. rats --- p.124 / Chapter 3.4.7 --- Discussion (long-term study) --- p.126 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR: --- CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES --- p.130 / References --- p.136