Cordyceps Militaris

[Mystic Wolf]

Cordyceps Militaris traditionally used to support physical stamina and performance.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7356751/ Published online 2020 Jun 12

Cordyceps is a rare naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungus usually found at high altitudes on the Himalayan plateau and a well-known medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine.

Cordyceps contains various bioactive components, out of which, cordycepin is considered most vital, due to its utmost therapeutic as well as nutraceutical potential. Moreover, the structural similarity of cordycepin with adenosine makes it an important bioactive component, with a difference of only hydroxyl group, lacking in the 3′ position of its ribose moiety. Cordycepin is known for various nutraceutical and therapeutic potential, such as anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, anticancer, antiviral, hepato-protective, hypo-sexuality, cardiovascular diseases, antimalarial, anti-osteoporotic, anti-arthritic, cosmeceutical, etc. which makes it a most valuable medicinal mushroom for helping in maintaining good health. In this review, the effort has been made to bring altogether the possible wide range of cordycepin’s nutraceutical potential along with its pharmacological actions and possible mechanism.

Cordyceps, derived from two Latin words “cord” and “ceps” representing ‘club’ and ‘head’ respectively, describing it as club fungi. It is an entomopathogenic fungus where extensions of the stroma and fruiting body arise from insect larvae carcasses [1]. Cordyceps predominantly live on the head of larvae of a particular moth species, Hepialus armoricanus Oberthur (Lepidoptera). It belongs to the Ascomycetes family and has been a very well-known fungus in Chinese traditional medicine for the last 300 years. Cordyceps is also known as ‘Dong Chong Xia Cao’, which means ‘Worm in winter and grass in summer’ in China [2,3,4].

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Moreover, despite the harvesting difficulties and distribution, it is still considered a highly valued mushroom because of its abundant natural bioactive component resources with various potent biological activities and nutraceutical importance [2]. For hundreds of years, Cordyceps was used as a folk tonic food, but only in recent times, its potential pharmaceutical, as well as nutraceutical application, have been explored, which has attracted food scientists globally [8].

Therefore, Cordyceps, as an edible mushroom, could be an ideal nutraceutical containing both nutritionally bioactive components as well as a source of various physiological benefits [12,13]. Moreover, based on our literature search, we found that researchers have majorly discussed cordycepin for its anticancer potential, but other therapeutic applications and potential nutraceutical approaches have either not been discussed in detail or ignored.

The main objective of this review is to focus on the nutraceutical potential of cordycepin (the major bioactive component of Cordyceps), using a mechanistic approach to study its pharmacological functions as well as to demonstrate the benefit of commercial availability of cordycepin-based nutraceuticals.
  Therefore, consumer interest has currently moved towards alternative medicinal approaches such as nutraceutical food products containing bioactive antidiabetic components. Some studies have reported that extract of C. militaris showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels by virtue of increasing glucose metabolism as well as protection against diabetic nephropathy [64].

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Cordycepin and Immunomodulatory Effects
  Cordycepin has been reported to stimulate cytokine release of resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as well as influence PBMCs proliferation and transcription factors in a human acute monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1).

Moreover, cordycepin was found to regulate human immune cell functions in vitro [94,95]. It has also been observed that the antitumor activity of cordycepin is associated with its immunomodulatory effects [96].

The mechanism of cordycepin’s antidiabetic activity is not fully understood, but a few studies have explained a possible pathway. They found that cordycepin prevents the production of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in LPS activated macrophages by inhibiting the protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators.

By virtue of this, the expression of type 2 diabetes-regulating genes (11β-HSD1 and PPARλ) was reduced. Expression of co-stimulatory molecules such as ICAM-1 and B7-1/-2 was also decreased with the increase in cordycepin concentration as presented in Figure 4A [65]. Furthermore, cordycepin has been found to suppress the expression of diabetes-regulating genes through the inactivation of NF-κb-dependent inflammatory responses [66,67].

In another study, cordycepin’s antidiabetic activity was reported in an alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model. The results suggested a significant improvement in glucose tolerance tests after administration of an effective dose of cordycepin [68]. Additionally, an effect of cordycepin on diabetic nephropathy by suppressing cell apoptosis, renal fibrosis, and rescued cell autophagy in the diabetic nephropathy rat model was also reported [69].

There are several reports which suggest that cordycepin has very good potential for being a safe anti-diabetic pharmaceutical agent [64,65,70].

64. Dong Y., Jing T., Meng Q., Liu C., Hu S., Ma Y., Liu Y., Lu J., Cheng Y., Wang D., et al. Studies on the antidiabetic activities of Cordyceps militaris extract in diet-streptozotocin-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats. Biomed. Res. Int. 2014;2014:160980. doi: 10.1155/2014/160980. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
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Traditional herbal medicine, which is shown to be more effective, safer, and economical, has attracted more attention in the area of arthritis treatment. Moreover, cordycepin has been found to modulate glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release by suppressing stimulation of IL-1β. In addition, levels of proteases that have been reported in cartilage matrix degradation, such as MMP-13, cathepsin K, MMP-1, cathepsin S, ADAMTS-5, and ADAMTS-4, were decreased by cordycepin in a dose-dependent manner.

The chondroprotective effect of cordycepin by preventing cartilage denegation as well as interfering inflammatory response in osteoarthritis pathogenesis has also been reported [106].

Cordycepin has been reported to reduce excessive inflammatory cell infiltration via down-regulation of macrophages, interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), and Mig expressions through terminating protein-coding genes (STAT1) phosphorylation [107].

There are some reports suggesting that inflammation of T-cell infiltration could be inhibited by using a cordycepin concentration of 10 mg/kg. According to that report, cordycepin can regulate the T-cell receptor, a protein complex found on the surface of T-cells, that signals to suppress excessive T-cell activation in inflammation [108].

Therefore, based upon these reports, it can be concluded that cordycepin has therapeutic potential in both anti-catabolic and anti-inflammatory actions against arthritic diseases [107,108].

106. Hu P., Chen W., Bao J., Jiang L., Wu L. Cordycepin modulates inflammatory and catabolic gene expression in interleukin-1beta-induced human chondrocytes from advanced-stage osteoarthritis: An in vitro study. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Pathol. 2014;7:6575–6584. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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[Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland]

Very interesting, I had never hear of it, before...

[Mystic Wolf]

I want to make sure the material I get is updated... 2021. Research is moving fast in many areas including mushrooms. So nice seeing you here Carmen Elsa Irarragorri!

[Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland]

Yes, that is a good idea, but I had not even heard of this before, I am afraid I know little about these subjects..

Well, you seem to know a lot!