Effect of the Polysaccharide Extract from the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus against Infectious Bursal Disease Virus

Abstract

The polysaccharide-containing extracellular fractions (EFs) of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus have immunomodulating effects. Being aware of these therapeutic effects of mushroom extracts, we have investigated the synergistic relations between these extracts and BIAVAC and BIAROMVAC vaccines. These vaccines target the stimulation of the immune system in commercial poultry, which are extremely vulnerable in the first days of their lives. By administrating EF with polysaccharides from P. ostreatus to unvaccinated broilers we have noticed slow stimulation of maternal antibodies against infectious bursal disease (IBD) starting from four weeks post hatching. For the broilers vaccinated with BIAVAC and BIAROMVAC vaccines a low to almost complete lack of IBD maternal antibodies has been recorded. By adding 5% and 15% EF in the water intake, as compared to the reaction of the immune system in the previous experiment, the level of IBD antibodies was increased. This has led us to believe that by using this combination of BIAVAC and BIAROMVAC vaccine and EF from P. ostreatus we can obtain good results in stimulating the production of IBD antibodies in the period of the chicken first days of life, which are critical to broilers’ survival. This can be rationalized by the newly proposed reactivity biological activity (ReBiAc) principles by examining the parabolic relationship between EF administration and recorded biological activity.

Effect of environmental factors on the yield of selected mushroom species growing in two different agro ecological zones of Pakistan

“…The complex and varying morphology, chemical composition, and biological activity of mushrooms attracted the attention of scientists. Among edible mushrooms, Pleurotus pulmonarius and Pleurotus ostreatus , exhibited strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties due to their chemical composition (Lavi et al, 2010, Selegean et al, 2009), while Morchella elats showed highly potent radical scavenging activity (Kalvoncu et al, 2010). Grifolin derivatives isolated from Boletus pseudocalopus (Basidiomycetes) possessed anticancer and moderate radical scavenging activities (Song et al, 2009).…”

Fructooligosaccharides in Allium Species: Chemistry and Nutrition

“…Similar anti-HIV activities were also reported for glucans from G. frondosa and T. versicolor (Giavasis and Biliaderis 2006, Lindequist et al 2005, Markova et al 2002, Sasidhara and Thirunalasundari 2012. Selegean et al (2009) studied the antiviral activity of expolysaccharides of P. ostreatus against the infectious bursal disease virus in young broilers and noticed an enhanced antiviral activity, stimulation of maternal antibodies, and increased survival rate when the biopolymer was used (as part of the daily water intake) alone or in combination with conventional antiviral vaccines. As the antimicrobial activity of mushroom glucans seems to be indirect and related to immunomodulation (Giavasis and Biliaderi 2006), and to affect the intestinal microflora after oral administration (van Nevel et al 2003), it seems feasible to formulate glucan-based nutraceuticals with prophylactic antimicrobial properties.…”

A polysaccharide from Armillaria mellea exhibits strong in vitro anticancer activity via apoptosis-involved mechanisms

“…Recently, much attention has been paid to their medicinal value, such as their antioxidative, antitumor, immunomodulating, antiviral, hypocholesterolemic and hepatoprotective activities [2][3][4][5][6]. Particularly more evidences have been reported that polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes isolated from mushrooms have been used as a source of therapeutic agents due to their immunomodulatory and antitumor effects [7].…”