2.5. Nutrition experiment

Fifty Swiss albino female mice were obtained from the animal house of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt and immediately after weaning, they were classified into 5 groups of 10 mice each as follows:

Group 1: used as a control group with normal feeding (22% protein, 3.48% fat and 3.71% dietary fibre as 60% yellow corn, 34% soya bean, calcium phosphate, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, oil soya, vitamins, antitoxins and molasses). Group 2: fed on raw egg white without any treatment. Group 3: fed on PAL enzyme treated egg white. Group 4: fed on dried mushroom flour without any treatment. Group 5: fed on dried PAL enzyme treated mushroom flour.

All groups were fed with 0.5 mg/kg m body weight for one month. Animals were housed under temperature- and light-controlled conditions with standard laboratory rodent chow and water provided ad libitum. Animal procedures were performed in accordance with the Ethics Committee of the National Research Centre and followed the recommendations of the National Institutes of Health Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (publication no. 85-23, revised 1985). Diet and water were provided ad libitum.