Document Type : Articles
Authors
Department of Food Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tikrit University , Iraq
Abstract
This study was conducted in the laboratories of the Food Science Department, College of Agriculture, and the Animal House at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Tikrit University. The experimental period extended from May 16, 2024, to May 15, 2025. The primary objective was to evaluate the antioxidant and immunomodulatory efficacy of Azolla pinnata and four species of major Iraqi edible fungi, both in vitro and in vivo, using female white rats subjected to oral administration of lead acetate. Non-enzymatic antioxidant assays revealed that the reducing power increased proportionally with rising concentrations of both Azolla and fungal extracts, with 5% concentration exhibiting the highest reducing activity across all treatments. Extracts of Hericium erinaceus and Pleurotus eryngii demonstrated superior reducing capabilities, reaching values of 2.91 and 2.88, respectively. The greatest DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed at 5% concentration of H. erinaceus and P. ostreatus extracts, with inhibition rates of 58.37% and 56.25%, respectively. In enzymatic antioxidant assays, H. erinaceus extract at 5% concentration showed the highest catalase and peroxidase activities, measuring 351.27 and 2.73 units per gram of fresh tissue, respectively. Powders of H. erinaceus and Azolla at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% were incorporated into the feed to assess their immunological and health efficacy in lead-intoxicated white rats. Treatment with 15% Azolla and H. erinaceus powders yielded the most favorable results in restoring immune cell homeostasis, indicated by a reduction of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio to 1.42 and 1.33,
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