Cordyceps
Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi and some of its members including Cordyceps mycelium are commonly used in herbal medicine. The popular species in commercial products are Cordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps ophioglossoides, Cordyceps capita, and Cordyceps. militaris. Cordyceps militaris is a traditional herbal ingredient frequently used for tonic and medicinal purposes in eastern Asia, while, Cordyceps sinensis (dong chong xia cao; 冬蟲夏草) has been suggested to possess anti-tumor, immunostimulant and antioxidant activities.
The chemical constituents for most species include cordycepin (3'-de-oxyadenosine) and its derivatives, ergosterol, polysaccharides, a glycoprotein and peptides containing alpha-aminoisobutyric acid. [11] Their benefits are suggested to include anti-tumour, anti-metastatic, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, antimicrobial, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, anti-ageing, neuroprotective and renoprotective effects. Polysaccharide accounts for the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-metastatic, immunomodulatory, hypoglycaemic, steroidogenic and hypolipidaemic effects. Cordycepin contributes to the anti-tumour, insecticidal and antibacterial activity. Ergosterol exhibits anti-tumour and immunomodulatory activity. [11]
More about Cordyceps sinensis Cordyceps sinensis, a well-known and valued traditional Chinese medicine, is also called DongChongXiaCao (winter worm summer grass) in Chinese. In herbal medicient, it is commonly used to replenish the kidney and soothe the lung and it is belived to benefit fatigue, night sweating, hyposexualities, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, asthemia after severe illness, respiratory disease, renal dysfunction and renal failure, arrhythmias and other heart disease, and liver disease. As the rarity and upstanding curative effects of natural Cordyceps, several mycelial strains have been isolated from natural Cordyceps and manufactured in large quantities by fermentation technology, and they are commonly sold as health food products in Asia. [8]
Special Precautions of Cordyceps
“Auto-immune diseases” such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other conditions: Cordyceps might cause the immune system to become more active, and this could increase the symptoms of auto-immune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to avoid using cordyceps.
The benefits of Cordyceps are
- Liver Issues : Cordyceps may benefit people suffered from liver issues. Researchers from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine proposed the use of Cordyceps sinensis on liver fibrosis. In a study, they induced liver fibrosis in rats with dimethylnitrosamine and then they treated the rats with Cordyceps sinensis. They found that the content of metalloproteinases-2 in Cordyceps sinensis-treated group was significantly higher than that in the untreated group. Thus, cordyceps sinensis promoted collagen degradation. Cordyceps sinensis may be able to adjust the T lymphocyte subsets level and to treat hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis. In the study, the researchers supplied cordyceps sinensis to 25 patients suffered from chronic hepatitis for three months. They found CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio increased significantly(P < 0.05), while HA and PC III decreased significantly(P < 0.05) compared with the control. In another study of rats, researchers from Korea demonstrated four weeks of administration of extracellular biopolymers from mycelial liquid culture of Cordyceps militaris has a beneficial effect in rats with liver fibrosis.
- Diabetes :Cordyceps may benefit people at risk of diabetes. Researchers from University of Macau, China, isolated a polysaccharide of molecular weight approximately 210kDa was isolated from cultured Cordyceps mycelia. This isolated polysaccharides, CSP-1, has a strong antidant activity and a hypoglycemic effect on normal and alloxan-diabetic mice and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. When administered at a dose of higher than 200mg/kg body wt. daily for 7 days, CSP-1 produced a significant drop in blood glucose level in both STZ-induced diabetic rats and alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Researchers from China Agricultural University, Beijing, also noticed the blood glucose lowering effects of a polysaccharide extracted from the fruting bodies and mycelia of Cordyceps militaris in a study of rats. The hypoglycemic effect of this polysaccharide-enriched Cordyceps militaris extract was dose-dependent. Korean researchers showed a water-extract of Cordyceps militaris ameliorated insulin resistance by enhancing glucose utilization in skeletal muscles of rats.
- Anti-oxidative Activities : Cordyceps has antioxidant activities. [5, 37-40] Researchers from Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Taiwan, demonstrated the protective effects of cultured Cordyceps militaris and natural Cordyceps sinensis against oxidative damage of biomolecules in a vitro study. They both have free radical scavenging abilities.
- Cancer :Cordyceps may offer benefits to those suffered from certain cancers. The aqueous extract of Cordyceps sinensis (Cs), one of the traditional Chinese medicines, has been demonstrated to benefit a wide range of disorders in either animal or test-tube studies. [9-31] Here are some most recent animal or in vitro studies suggesting its benefits in cancers.Korean researchers reported cytotoxic effects of cultivated fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris extracts against the proliferation of the human premyelocytic leukemia cell HL-60 via the activation of caspase-3. Researchers from Nanjing University shouls that a polysaccharide extracted from a cultivated Cordyceps sinensis fungus significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase activity of liver, brain and serum as well as glutathione peroxidase activity of liver and brain in tumor-bearing mice. It also inhibited H22 tumor growth in the mice. Cordyceps sinensis mycelium was found to induce MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cell death. Researchers from Taiwan found that Cordyceps sinensis induced MA-10 cell apoptosis by activating caspase-8-dependent and caspase-9-independent pathways and downregulating NF-?B protein expression. Hong Kong researchers demonstrated that an ethanol extract of cultivated mycelium of a Cordyceps sinensis fungal mycelium has strong anti-tumor activity on four cancer cell lines MCF-7 breast cancer, B16 mouse melanoma, HL-60 human premyelocytic leukemia and HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma. In an animal test, the EtOAc extract showed significant inhibiting effect on B16-induced melanoma in C57BL/6 mice, causing about 60% decrease of tumor size over 27 days. In contrast, this extract had much lower cytotoxicity against normal mouse bone marrow cells. Researchers reported that it contained mainly carbohydrates, adenosine, ergosterol and trace amount of cordycepin.
- Used in Fu Zheng Therapy
- Cordyceps may help body defense, against infections and inflammation. Cordyceps may modulate immunity.
- Cordyceps sinensis is believed to be an immunomodulator.Hong Kong researchers demonstrated that a cultivated strain of Cordyceps sinensis induced the production of interleukin(IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor alphaalpha from PBMC, augmented surface expression of CD25 on lymphocytes in a vitro study. [2] While, researchers from Zhejiang University, China, desmonstrated increased ovalbumin-specific IgG, IgG1 and IgG2b serum levels after treating the mice with edible mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis.A rat study has shown that a Cordyceps sinensis mycelium extract protected mice from group A streptococcal infection. It increased IL-12 and IFN-gamma expression and macrophage phagocytic activities.
- MemoryCordyceps may benefit people suffered from memory deficits. The extract of Cordyceps ophioglossoides protected the Abeta-induced neuronal cell death and memory loss through free radical scavenging activity.
- Alteration of testosterone levels : Not sure if it is a benefit? Researchers from Taiwan noticed the stimulating effects of Cordyceps sinensis extracts on the secretion of testosterone in mice; this effect is in dose- and time-dependent relationships. They are hoping this effect may offer benefits to those with reproductive problems.
- Cholesterol Profiles : Cordyceps may benefit people with cholesterol-lowering effects. [36,40] In a study, researchers fed mice with cholesterol-enriched diet. They found that the serum total cholesterol (TC) of all mice groups administered Cordyceps sinensis extracts with the cholesterol-enriched diet decreased more than in the control group.
- Heart and Circulation Issues : Cordyceps may offer benefits of cardiovascular protection. Extracts of the fruiting bodies of cultured Cordyceps sinensis has been shown to exert beneficial effects on the formation of the atherosclerotic lesion induced by oxidative stress with few side effects in a study of mice. In the study, researchers fed mice with an atherogenic diet and treated with the extracts for 12 weeks. Mice fed the atherogenic diet showed marked increases in serum lipid and lipid peroxide levels and also aortic cholesterol levels, particularly cholesteryl ester level, a major lipid constituent in atherosclerotic lesions. According to the authors, the extracts significantly suppressed the increased serum lipid peroxide level but not other lipid levels in a dose-dependent manner. WECS also suppressed the increased aortic cholesteryl ester level in a dose-dependent manner.
- Researchers isolated a macromolecule from Cordyceps sinensis and they found this molecule has blood pressure lowering and vaso-relaxing effects. The researchers explained that the vasorelaxation was mediated by the endothelium possibly by stimulating the release of the nitric oxide and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor.
- Other : Cordyceps may also have beneficial effects on kidney, but, more studies are needed to understand the mechanism. Proponents also claim that cordyceps can protect against the following health problems: asthma, depression, diabetes, fatigue, high cholesterol
