Selenium-enriched Lentinus edodes: characterization and antidiabetic effects in Wistar rats

Lentinus edodes is the second most widely cultivated edible mushroom globally. This study aimed to enrich L. edodes with selenium, quantify total selenium and its species, and evaluate the in vivo antidiabetic activity of selenium-enriched extracts using Wistar rats as the model organism.

The experiment involved healthy male Wistar strain laboratory rats, divided into 8 groups. Along with general health status, the animals' body weight, blood glucose levels and lipid concentrations as well as selenoprotein P1 and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx-1) expression were monitored during the experiment.

The highest selenium accumulation was observed in the first flushes, reaching 90.4 ± 9.0 mg Se kg^-1. Selenomethionine (Se-Met) was identified as the sole selenium species in both aqueous and enzymatic extracts. The findings reveal subtle variations in the physiological effects of L. edodes harvested at different times, particularly regarding body weight, blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, as well as pancreatic tissue health and the expression of selenoprotein P1 and GPx-1 in rats. Selenium-enriched L. edodes extracts exhibited notable antidiabetic properties, especially in regulating blood glucose and preserving pancreatic β-cell structure in an alloxan-induced diabetes model. A significant positive correlation was found between selenoprotein P1 levels and total cholesterol (ρ = 0.622; p < 0.001).

The findings of this study provide a basis for monitoring the quality and reproducibility of the selenium fortification process. Furthermore, these results suggest that further investigation in additional animal models is warranted to confirm the broader applicability and robustness of this approach.