Enokitake contains a large amount of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an antihypertensive substance, and was fed in a powder or extract form to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) in a 5% diet for 3 weeks (experiment I) or for 2 weeks (experiment II). Blood pressure was determined, and the plasma and liver lipid concentrations were analyzed. No antihypertensive effect on blood pressure was apparent, and the plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels in SHRs were not decreased. However, the liver cholesterol and triglyceride levels were markedly decreased.
These results indicate that Enokitake had neither an antihypertensive effect nor suppressive effect on hyperlipemia, but did have a suppressive effect on the liver cholesterol and triglyceride levels in SHRs.