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In this study, we have investigated the stability of the antigenotoxic properties of dried of Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Singer mushroom powder stored at room and at− 20C. Mice were pretreated by gavage for 15 consecutive days with 0.6 mL/day of an aqueous extract of dried L. edodes powder prepared at 60C. On day 15, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 50 mg/kg N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU); 3 h later, peripheral blood was withdrawn from the animals and used to evaluate DNA damage using the comet assay. The mice were sacrificed 24 h after the ENU treatment and the bone marrow used to measure the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. The results indicated that storage at both room temperature and at− 20C significantly reduced the antigenotoxic effects of the mushroom powder. In addition, whereas freshly dried mushroom powder was nongenotoxic, storage of the powder at− 20C resulted in genotoxic activity (P < 0.05). Taken together, our data indicate that constituents ofL. edodes powder are altered during storage, resulting in both genotoxicity and a reduction in antigenotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]