Shiitake mushroom Lentinula edodes is an edible basidiomycete cultivated worldwide, with high nutritious value and diverse biological activity. There has been an increase in its use as food supplement. Influence of shiitake mushroom extract on the reproductive function and development in an object fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is described in this research. Fruit flies were maintained on banana medium with or without supplementation of shiitake mushroom's extract, standardized per amount of crude polysaccharides. Shiitake extract supplement, 0.030% and 0.015% crude polysaccharides per volume, induced a statistically significant increase in total number of pupae and flies, and promoted pupae viability. Adult drosophilae males, which received shiitake extract supplement for seven days, had a statistically significant reduction in copulation latency, while thirty day exposure to extract promoted a statistically higher rate of mated flies. Females showed an increase in number of mated flies and reduction in copulation latency post seven day feeding period and had no significant effect on mating ability and fertility post thirty days. Further studies are planned to identify the biologically active components of shiitake mushroom hot water extract and to characterize their effects on reproductive function.
