Purpose: To determine the effects of polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula (AAPs) on exercise-induced oxidative stress in mice.

Methods: The animals were divided into four groups: control (C), low, middle, and high-dose AAPs-treated (LA, MA, and HA, respectively). C group received physiological saline solution while AAPs-treated groups received different doses of AAPs (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) via oral gavage once a day for 28 days, followed by an exhaustive swimming exercise. Swimming times were recorded for each animal after which malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) were determined.

Results: Exhaustive swimming times were significantly prolonged in all AAPs-treated animals as compared with controls. In all treatment groups, serum and muscle MDA levels were significantly lower than those in the C group, whereas in the MA- and HA-treated groups, a decrease was also seen for liver MDA levels. Furthermore, the concentration of 8-OHdG was significantly reduced in serum, liver, and muscle in all AAPs-treated animals. In contrast, all AAPs treatment groups exhibited significantly higher SOD activity in serum, liver, and muscle. Serum and liver GPx activity was also significantly increased in all animals receiving AAPs treatment, with MA- and HA-treated mice exhibiting an additional augmented GPx activity in muscle. Serum and liver catalase activities in the MA and HA-treated groups, and catalase activity in muscle in all AAPs treatment cohorts, were significantly higher.

Conclusion: Polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula enhance exercise endurance and possess protective effects against exhaustive swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress in mice.