Oxidative Stress Modulation by Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotussajorcaju) in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Female Wistar Rats

Pallav Kumar Trar¹*, Rachna Varma², Rajesh Mandil³, Shweta Anand⁴, Vikas Jaiswal⁵, Amit Kumar⁶

¹* Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of veterinary and animal science, SVPUAT, Meerut (U.P)-250110,
²Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (U.P.), India,
³Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (U.P.), India,
⁴Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (U.P.), India,
⁵Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (U.P.), India,
⁶Division of Animal Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (U.P.), India,

Received: 19^th Aug, 2025; Revised: 15^th Sep 2025; Accepted: 17^th Nov, 2025; Available Online: 30^th Nov, 2025

ABSTRACT

Oxidative stress from excess ROS impairs immunity and health. Post-COVID-19, interest in natural antioxidants has grown. Pleurotus sajor-caju shows antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, but limited evidence exists. This study evaluates its effects in a cyclophosphamide-induced rat model. In vitro antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide scavenging assays (IC₅₀ values calculated). In vivo, female Wistar rats (n=6 per group) were assigned to six groups: control, cyclophosphamide (10 mg/kg), cyclophosphamide plus mushroom extract (800 mg/kg), cyclophosphamide plus levamisole (50 mg/kg), mushroom extract alone, and levamisole alone. Treatments were administered orally for 28 days. The liver and spleen tissues were examined for reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.05) was used in conjunction with a one-way ANOVA to examine the data. Cyclophosphamide notably increased MDA (~75%) and decreased GSH (~60%) levels (p<0.001). P. sajor-caju treatment reduced MDA by ~40% and restored GSH (p<0.05). In vitro, IC₅₀ values were 5.33 mg/mL (DPPH) and 0.94 mg/mL (ABTS). Pleurotus sajor-caju extract effectively mitigates cyclophosphamide-induced oxidative stress and supports immune function. It shows promise as a natural antioxidant therapeutic. Further studies are required to clarify its mechanism and clinical potential.

Keywords: Antioxidant, Cyclophosphamide, Immune modulation, Oxidative stress, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Wistar rats

How to cite this article: Trar PK, Varma R, Mandil R, Anand S, Jaiswal V, Kumar A. Oxidative Stress modulation by Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotussajorcaju) in Cyclophosphamide-Induced female Wistar rats. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2025;15(4): 1533-1541, DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.15.4.9