Some physiological and biochemical actions of ergosterol in mammals and birds

Abstract

The development of new fungal food-products which may contain high levels of ergosterol prompted this investigation into the physiological and biochemical effects of this compound which may become an increasingly significant dietary constituent. The level of ergosterol in one new fungal food product, the R.H.N. mould, was measured and found to be approximately 0.1% dry weight. There is, however, strong evidence that the level in other moulds may be as high as 2.5% dry weight.

Ergosterol was tested for rachitogenic properties in the chick and it was found that it did not inhibit vitamin D under any of the conditions studied.

The sterol was also tested for hypocholesteraemic actions in both rats and chicks. No significant lowering of serum or liver cholesterol was observed when ergosterol was given as a dietary supplement or by subcutaneous injection in chicks fed normal cereal-based diets. It was also shown that ergosterol present in great excess did not inhibit the absorption of a single oral dose of 3H-cholesterol in rats or chicks.

Evidence in the literature suggested that ergosterol spares progesterone in the pregnant, spayed rabbit. This sparing action of ergosterol on progesterone was demonstrated in the pregnant, spayed rat. Ergosterol was shown not to have any obvious effects when given orally or subcutaneously at various stages of pregnancy or in early postnatal life except to increase foetal mortality when injected into dams in late pregnancy. Ergosterol did not have any measurable oestrogenic activity in the rat, neither did it alter progesterone absorption or metabolism. It did, however, possess some measurable oestrogenic activity in the chick and it also inhibited to a slight extent the oestrogen-induced hypertrophy of the chick oviduct. Thus ergosterol is weakly anti-oestrogenic in the chick, note that many anti-oestrogens show some oestrogenic activity when given in large doses.

It was also found that adrenaline increased the reproductive performance associated with a given dose of progesterone in ovariectomised rats but that adrenalectomy in otherwise intact animals resulted in 50% of pregnancies not continuing in rats.

Although little evidence has been found to suggest that a high dietary level of ergosterol will have harmful effects, it should be noted that the rise and scope of this work was limited and much more research needs to be done before diets containing large amounts of ergosterol are marketed for human consumption.

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