ABSTRACT

Introduction: Termitomyces sp. is an edible fungal species commonly found in tropical forests in Africa and Southeast Asia. It is consumed as an immunomodulatory agent to enhance the immune system. This study explored the hematological profile of ethyl acetate extract of fungus comb(EAEFC) on mice’s inflammatory response induced by intraperitoneally-injected lipopolysaccharide. Methods: An experimental study with a post-test-only control group design using BALB/C mice(n = 24, bodyweight/BW:25-30 grams) was conducted. The animals were randomly allocated into 4 groups, each consisting of 6 mice, and received substance(s) via gavage. Groups I and III received 5% Dimethyl Sulfoxide(DMSO) in water, groups II and IV received 500mg/kg BW EAEFC in 5% DMSO. On day 15, Group I and II were injected intraperitoneally with 5 ml/kg BW saline, whereas Group III and IV with 10 mg/kg BW lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in 5 ml/kg BW saline. After three hours, the mice were sacrificed; their blood was collected, and a hematological profile was observed. The results were displayed as mean ± standard deviation (SD), and the differences between groups were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The non-normally distributed data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis followed by Man-Whitney U test. Results: Peripheral blood study revealed that the levels of leukocyte count from the EAEFC group(group II) increased significantly when compared to the negative control(group I). Group IV had higher granulocyte and lower lymphocyte percentages than group III, suggesting the potential inflammation-regulating effect of EAEFC, while there is no marked difference in group I and II without LPS-induced inflammatory response. Conclusion: Results indicated that EAEFC altered leukocyte responses when the inflammation occurred.

Keywords: Termitomyces, ethyl acetate extract of fungus comb, lipopolysaccharide, inflammation, hematological profile.