Impact of ingestion of rice bran and shitake mushroom extract on lymphocyte function and cytokine production in healthy rats

J Diet Suppl. 2008;5(1):47-61. doi: 10.1080/19390210802329196.

Abstract

This article provides a controlled evaluation of the ability of dietary supplementation with a commercially available rice bran extract modified with shitake mushroom extract (MGN-3) to support the immune function by assessing the ability of immunocytes to proliferate and produce cytokines in response to a mitogenic challenge. Twenty-four male Lewis rats were fed a control diet (Maypo sweetened oatmeal) or Maypo containing the recommended daily dose of MGN-3 for 2 weeks. This treatment modestly enhanced mitogen enhanced proliferation of splenocytes and interferon-gamma (IFN-g) production, and significantly increased proliferation of splenocytes to the superantigen toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) as well as natural killer (NK) cell activity and production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) by stimulated lymphocytes. These data support the contention that ingestion of MGN-3 can support immune cell function. These data add to a growing body of data showing that ingestion of MGN-3 improves the ability of immune cells to proliferate the lyse tumor cells, suggesting that it may have utility as a dietary aid to support the immune system.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Avena
  • Bacterial Toxins / immunology
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis*
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Enterotoxins / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-2 / biosynthesis
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Mitogens / immunology
  • Oryza / chemistry*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Lew
  • Reference Values
  • Seeds
  • Shiitake Mushrooms*
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / drug effects
  • Superantigens / immunology
  • Xylans / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Cytokines
  • Enterotoxins
  • Interleukin-2
  • Mitogens
  • Plant Extracts
  • Superantigens
  • Xylans
  • enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal
  • polysaccharide MGN3
  • Interferon-gamma