Cordyceps militaris

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Cordyceps militaris
2010-08-06 Cordyceps militaris 1.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Ascomycota
Class:
Sordariomycetes
Order:
Hypocreales
Family:
Cordycipitaceae
Genus:
Cordyceps
Species:
C. militaris
Binomial name
Cordyceps militaris
(L.) Fr. (1818)

Cordyceps militaris is a species of fungus in the family Cordycipitaceae, and the type species of the genus Cordyceps , which consists of hundreds of species. [1] The species was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Clavaria militaris. [2] Cordyceps militaris parasitizes insects and is used use in traditional Chinese medicine and modern pharmaceuticals.

Contents

Description

The fungus forms 1–8 centimetres (1⁄2–3+1⁄4 in) high, club-shaped [3] and orange/red fruiting bodies, which grow out of dead underground pupae. The club is covered with the stroma, into which the actual fruit bodies, the perithecia, are inserted. The surface appears roughly punctured. The inner fungal tissue is whitish to pale orange.

Microscopic features

The spores are smooth, hyaline, long-filiform, and often septate. They decompose to maturity in 3–7 μm × 1–1.2 μm sub pores. The asci are long and cylindrical. Sometimes an anamorphic state, which is Isaria , is found. Masses of white mycelia form around the parasitized insect; however, these may not be of the same species.

Similar species

Cordyceps in the wild has more than 400 different species. [4] Similar species include Cordyceps sobolifera, Elaphocordyceps capitata, and Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides . [3]

Distribution and habitat

Many authors consider C. militaris quite common, spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, [5] and fruiting bodies appear in Europe from August to November.

Ecology

Cordyceps' method of dispersal is through parasitizing insects. [6] Researchers believe that the insect picks up the fungus while foraging for food. [7] The fungus makes its way deeper into its hosts body, eventually taking over and controlling the insect's behavior. [7] The fungus then makes its host climb to a high point, most likely the leaf of a nearby plant, and latch on, locking it in place. [7] The fungus continues to eat at its host, killing it in the process. [7] After a few days, the fungus's fruiting body begins to emerge from its host's body, where it then sends its spores out to infect more insects. [7]

Uses

A jar of dry C. militaris fruiting body. Cordyceps militaris jar.jpg
A jar of dry C. militaris fruiting body.

C. militaris can be cultivated in a variety of media, including silkworm pupae, rice, and liquid nutrition. [8] [9] It is considered inedible or "probably edible" by North American field guides. [10] [3] In Asia the fruiting body is cooked as a mushroom in dishes like chicken soup, [11] pork bone soup [12] and hot pot.

C. militaris is a potential carrier of bio-metabolites for herbal drugs. Traditional medicine systems believe it "revitalizes" various systems of the body. [13] In traditional Chinese medicine, this fungus can serve as a cheap substitute for Ophiocordyceps sinensis . Both contain cordycepin. [8] Studies have found that excessive use of C. militaris can exert pressure on the filtering and excretory functions of the liver and kidneys, potentially leading to damage in these organs. [14]

C. militaris contains a protein CMP18 which induces apoptosis in vitro via a mitochondrion-dependent pathway. It is thought that it might be toxic when eaten. Cooking destroys this protein. [15]

Research

Cordyceps militaris is well known within the realm of traditional Chinese medicine. [16] Its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-aging properties have been well documented. [16] However, more thorough clinical trials of the fungus are difficult to construct, due to the biological complexity of the fungus. [16] The medicinal properties of C. militaris can be attributed to a number of chemicals within the fungi, including cordycepin, cordymin, and many other extracts. [17] Cordycepin is especially important, with current research investigating ways to expedite the production of the chemical within cordyceps. [18]

The effects of C. militaris on general health is predicted to land it a substantial position in both medicinal areas as well as everyday diets. [19]

Chemistry

Bai & Sheu 2018 found a new protein causing apoptosis. [15] [20] : 22  Song et al., 2009 finds microwave-assisted extraction to be a good technique for polysaccharide extraction from this fungus. [20] : 196 

Like other members of the Cordyceps genus, C. militaris produces the pharmacologically active compound cordycepin. Cordycepin is a nucleoside analogue of adenosine-differing by only a single hydroxyl group. It has been shown to induce apoptosis, reduce inflammation, and inhibit RNA transcription in cell cultures. For these reasons, it is under study for its anti-metastatic properties. [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ophiocordyceps sinensis</i> Species of fungus

Ophiocordyceps sinensis, known colloquially as caterpillar fungus, is an entomopathogenic fungus in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. It is mainly found in the meadows above 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) on the Tibetan Plateau in Tibet and the Himalayan regions of Bhutan, India, and Nepal. It parasitizes larvae of ghost moths and produces a fruiting body which is valued in traditional Chinese medicine as an aphrodisiac. Caterpillar fungus contains the compound cordycepin, an adenosine derivative. However, the fruiting bodies harvested in nature usually contain high amounts of arsenic and other heavy metals, so they are potentially toxic and sales have been strictly regulated by China's State Administration for Market Regulation since 2016.

<i>Cordyceps</i> Genus of fungi

Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi that includes about 600 worldwide species. Diverse variants of cordyceps have had more than 1,500 years of use in Chinese medicine. Most Cordyceps species are endoparasitoids, parasitic mainly on insects and other arthropods ; a few are parasitic on other fungi.

<i>Flammulina filiformis</i> Species of edible mushroom

Flammulina filiformis is a species of edible agaric in the family Physalacriaceae. It is widely cultivated in East Asia, and well known for its role in Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Until recently, the species was considered to be conspecific with the European Flammulina velutipes, but DNA sequencing has shown that the two are distinct.

<i>Tremella fuciformis</i> Species of edible fungus

Tremella fuciformis is a species of fungus; it produces white, frond-like, gelatinous basidiocarps. It is widespread, especially in the tropics, where it can be found on the dead branches of broadleaf trees. This fungus is commercially cultivated and is one of the most popular fungi in the cuisine and medicine of China. T. fuciformis is commonly known as snow fungus, snow ear, silver ear fungus, white jelly mushroom, and white cloud ears.

<i>Phallus indusiatus</i> Widespread species of stinkhorn fungus

Phallus indusiatus, commonly called the basket stinkhorn, bamboo mushrooms, bamboo pith, long net stinkhorn, crinoline stinkhorn, bridal veil, or veiled lady, is a fungus in the family Phallaceae, or stinkhorns. It has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical areas, and is found in southern Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia, where it grows in woodlands and gardens in rich soil and well-rotted woody material. The fruit body of the fungus is characterised by a conical to bell-shaped cap on a stalk and a delicate lacy "skirt", or indusium, that hangs from beneath the cap and reaches nearly to the ground. First described scientifically in 1798 by French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat, the species has often been referred to a separate genus Dictyophora along with other Phallus species featuring an indusium. P. indusiatus can be distinguished from other similar species by differences in distribution, size, color, and indusium length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sclerotium</span> Mycelial mass

A sclerotium, is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until favorable growth conditions return. Sclerotia initially were mistaken for individual organisms and described as separate species until Louis René Tulasne proved in 1853 that sclerotia are only a stage in the life cycle of some fungi. Further investigation showed that this stage appears in many fungi belonging to many diverse groups. Sclerotia are important in the understanding of the life cycle and reproduction of fungi, as a food source, as medicine, and in agricultural blight management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordycepin</span> Chemical compound

Cordycepin, or 3'-deoxyadenosine, is a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine, differing from the latter by the replacement of the hydroxy group in the 3' position with a hydrogen. It was initially extracted from the fungus Cordyceps militaris, but can now be produced synthetically. It is also found in other Cordyceps species as well as Ophiocordyceps sinensis.

<i>Ganoderma applanatum</i> Species of fungus

Ganoderma applanatum is a bracket fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution.

<i>Ophiocordyceps unilateralis</i> Species of fungus

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859, and currently found predominantly in tropical forest ecosystems. O. unilateralis infects ants of the tribe Camponotini, with the full pathogenesis being characterized by alteration of the behavioral patterns of the infected ant. Infected hosts leave their canopy nests and foraging trails for the forest floor, an area with a temperature and humidity suitable for fungal growth; they then use their mandibles to attach themselves to a major vein on the underside of a leaf, where the host remains after its eventual death. The process, leading up to mortality, takes 4–10 days, and includes a reproductive stage where fruiting bodies grow from the ant's head, rupturing to release the fungus's spores. O. unilateralis is, in turn, also susceptible to fungal infection itself, an occurrence that can limit its impact on ant populations, which has otherwise been known to devastate ant colonies.

<i>Wolfiporia extensa</i> Species of fungus

Wolfiporia extensa(syn.Poria cocos F.A.Wolf), commonly known as hoelen, poria, tuckahoe, China root, fu ling, or matsuhodo, is a fungus in the family Polyporaceae. It is a wood-decay fungus but has a subterranean growth habit. It is notable in the development of a large, long-lasting underground sclerotium that resembles a small coconut. This sclerotium, known as Tuckahoe or fu-ling, is not the same as the true tuckahoe used as Indian bread by Native Americans, which is the arrow arum, Peltandra virginica, a flowering tuberous plant in the arum family.

<i>Ophiocordyceps</i> Genus of fungi

Ophiocordyceps is a genus of fungi within the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch in 1931, contains about 140 species that grow on insects. Anamorphic genera that correspond with Ophiocordyceps species are Hirsutella, Hymenostilbe, Isaria, Paraisaria, and Syngliocladium.

<i>Tolypocladium</i> Genus of fungi

Tolypocladium is a genus of fungi within the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. It includes species that are parasites of other fungi, insect pathogens, rotifer pathogens and soil inhabiting species with uncertain ecological roles.

Thitarodes caligophilus is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It is found in Bhutan. It is a host of the entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, a species of the genus Cordyceps. The fruiting bodies of Ophiocordyceps sinensis are used extensively in Traditional Chinese medicine. As a result, T. caligophilus-sourced Cordyceps harvested in Bhutan have become "widely used".

<i>Ophiocordyceps nutans</i> Species of fungus

Ophiocordyceps nutans is an entomopathogenic fungus belonging to the order Hypocreales (Ascomycota) in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. O. nutans only parasitizes Hemipterans, namely stinkbugs. In Korea, O. nutans is one of the most common species of Cordyceps. O. nutans, as well as other Cordyceps species, are mainly classified morphologically by their colour, fruit body shape, and host insect species. Stinkbugs cause considerable damage to agriculture and forestry, and the anamorph of O. nutans, Hymenostilbe nutans, is a potential selective biological control agent against the stinkbugs.

<i>Tolypocladium ophioglossoides</i> Species of fungus

Tolypocladium ophioglossoides, also known by two of its better known synonyms Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides and Cordyceps ophioglossoides and commonly known as the goldenthread cordyceps, is a species of fungus in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. It is parasitic on fruit bodies of the truffle-like Elaphomyces. The species is considered inedible, but is valued in traditional Chinese medicine.

Medicinal fungi are fungi that contain metabolites or can be induced to produce metabolites through biotechnology to develop prescription drugs. Compounds successfully developed into drugs or under research include antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, cholesterol and ergosterol synthesis inhibitors, psychotropic drugs, immunosuppressants and fungicides.

<i>Ophiocordyceps formicarum</i> Species of fungus

Ophiocordyceps formicarum is an entomopathogenic fungus belonging to the order Hypocreales (Ascomycota) in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. The fungus was first described by mycologist George S. Kobayashi in 1939 as a species of Cordyceps. Originally found in Japan growing on an adult Hercules ant, it was reported from Guizhou, China, in 2003. It was transferred to the new genus Ophiocordyceps in 2007 when the family Cordycipitaceae was reorganized. A technique has been developed to grow the fungus in an agar growth medium supplemented with yeast extract, inosine, and glucose.

<i>Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala</i> Species of fungus

Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala is a species of parasitic fungus. It is entomopathogenic, meaning it grows within insects, particularly wasps of the genera Polistes, Tachytes, and Vespa. It has been reported across the Americas and China.

<i>Cordyceps locustiphila</i> Species of fungus

Cordyceps locustiphila is the basionym and teleomorph of the fungi Beauveria locustiphila, a species of fungus in the family Cordycipitaceae. and is a species within the genus Cordyceps. It was originally described in by Henn in 1904. C. locustiphila is an entomopathogen and obligate parasite of the grasshopper species within the genus Colpolopha or Tropidacris, and as such is endemic to South America. The scientific name is derived from its close relationship with its host, being named after locusts. The fungi was renamed to Beauveria locustiphila in 2017 following research into the family Cordycipitaceae. Following the loss of the species type specimen, new studies were conducted that now recommend that the fungi be divided into 3 species. C. locustiphila, C. diapheromeriphila, and C. acridophila.

<i>Isaria cicadae</i> Species of fungi

Isaria cicadae is an ascomycete fungus that parasitizes cicada larvae. It forms white and yellow asexual fruiting structures resembling synnema. While mostly being found throughout Asia in warm, humid regions, it has been found on various other continents. It is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as Chan Hua and commonly called “cicada flower.” Its medicinal uses date back to the fifth century AD in China. It can also be used in various foods and tonics.

References

  1. ↑ Ng, T B; Wang, H X (2010-02-18). "Pharmacological actions of Cordyceps , a prized folk medicine". Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 57 (12): 1509–1519. doi:10.1211/jpp.57.12.0001. ISSN   0022-3573. PMID   16354395. S2CID   35081231.
  2. ↑ "GSD Species Synonymy: Cordyceps militaris (L.) Fr". Species Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 381–382. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
  4. ↑ Sung, Gi-Ho; Nigel L. Hywel-Jones; Jae-Mo Sung; J. Jennifer Luangsa-ard; Bhushan Shrestha & Joseph W. Spatafora (2007). "Phylogenetic classification of Cordyceps and the clavicipitaceous fungi". Stud Mycol. 57 (1): 5–59. doi:10.3114/sim.2007.57.01. PMC   2104736 . PMID   18490993.
  5. ↑ Pilz des Jahres 2007: Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link, Puppenkernkeule
  6. ↑ de Menezes, Thaís Almeida; Aburjaile, Flávia Figueira; Quintanilha-Peixoto, Gabriel; Tomé, Luiz Marcelo Ribeiro; Fonseca, Paula Luize Camargos; Mendes-Pereira, Thairine; Araújo, Daniel Silva; Melo, Tarcisio Silva; Kato, Rodrigo Bentes; Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles; Ribeiro, Sérvio Pontes; Brenig, Bertram; Azevedo, Vasco; Drechsler-Santos, Elisandro Ricardo; Andrade, Bruno Silva (January 2023). "Unraveling the Secrets of a Double-Life Fungus by Genomics: Ophiocordyceps australis CCMB661 Displays Molecular Machinery for Both Parasitic and Endophytic Lifestyles". Journal of Fungi. 9 (1): 110. doi: 10.3390/jof9010110 . ISSN   2309-608X. PMC   9864599 . PMID   36675931.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "How a parasitic fungus turns ants into 'zombies'". Animals. 2019-04-18. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  8. 1 2 Lu, Yi; Zhi, Yuee; Miyakawa, Takuya; Tanokura, Masaru (2019-05-22). "Metabolic profiling of natural and cultured Cordyceps by NMR spectroscopy". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 7735. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9.7735L. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44154-x . PMC   6531489 . PMID   31118439.
  9. ↑ "CN102626036A 一种蛹虫草子实体的规模化栽培方法和质量检测方法" [A method for large-scale cultivation of C. militaris fruiting bodies and quality testing thereof]. Google Patents (in Chinese). 2012-04-24.
  10. ↑ Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 379. ISBN   978-1-55407-651-2.
  11. ↑ "虫草花淮山杞子鸡汤". 心食谱.
  12. ↑ "Cordyceps militaris pork bone soup". Simple Chinese Food.
  13. ↑ Das, Shonkor Kumar; Masuda, Mina; Sakurai, Akihiko; Sakakibara, Mikio (2010). "Medicinal uses of the mushroom Cordyceps militaris: Current state and prospects". Fitoterapia. 81 (8): 961–968. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2010.07.010. PMID   20650308.
  14. ↑ Hubert, Flemming. "Hector". Hector's Cordyceps militaris research on dosage. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  15. 1 2 Bai, Ke-Chun; Sheu, Fuu (January 2018). "A novel protein from edible fungi Cordyceps militaris that induces apoptosis". Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 26 (1): 21–30. doi: 10.1016/j.jfda.2016.10.013 . PMC   9332670 . PMID   29389557.
  16. 1 2 3 Shweta; Abdullah, Salik; Komal; Kumar, Abhinandan (2023-06-01). "A brief review on the medicinal uses of Cordyceps militaris". Pharmacological Research - Modern Chinese Medicine. 7: 100228. doi: 10.1016/j.prmcm.2023.100228 . ISSN   2667-1425. S2CID   257216018.
  17. ↑ Ng, T B; Wang, H X (2010-02-18). "Pharmacological actions of Cordyceps , a prized folk medicine". Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 57 (12): 1509–1519. doi:10.1211/jpp.57.12.0001. ISSN   0022-3573. PMID   16354395. S2CID   35081231.
  18. ↑ Long, Liangkun; Liu, Zhen; Wang, Yizhou; Lin, Qunying; Ding, Shaojun; Li, Chuanhua; Deng, Chunying (2023-11-01). "High-level production of cordycepin by the xylose-utilising Cordyceps militaris strain 147 in an optimised medium". Bioresource Technology. 388: 129742. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129742. ISSN   0960-8524. PMID   37734485. S2CID   262125660.
  19. ↑ Muszyńska, Katarzyna Kała, Karol Jędrejko, Katarzyna Sułkowska-Ziaja, Bożena (2023), "Cordyceps militaris and its Applications", Bioprospects of Macrofungi, CRC Press, pp. 345–368, doi:10.1201/9781003343806-21, ISBN   978-1-003-34380-6 , retrieved 2023-10-17{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. 1 2 Singh, Bhim; Lallawmsanga; Passari, Ajit (2018). Biology of Macrofungi. Fungal Biology (1 ed.). Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. pp. xviii+406+22 b/w ill.+43 colour. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-02622-6. eISSN   2198-7785. ISBN   978-3-030-02622-6. ISSN   2198-7777. S2CID   59223290.
  21. ↑ Tuli, Hardeep S.; Sharma, Anil K.; Sandhu, Sardul S.; Kashyap, Dharambir (2013). "Cordycepin: A bioactive metabolite with therapeutic potential". Life Sciences. 93 (23). Elsevier BV: 863–869. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2013.09.030. ISSN   0024-3205. PMID   24121015.
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