Cultivated Cordyceps: A Tale of Two Treasured Mushrooms

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cultivated Cordyceps: A Tale of Two Treasured Mushrooms

AU - Ta Anyu, Anawinla

AU - Zhang, Wen-Hui

AU - Xu, Qihe

PY - 2021/12/28

Y1 - 2021/12/28

N2 - Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris both contain many bioactive compounds that confer potential therapeutic benefits. This review discusses the possible use of cultivated C. militaris as an effective substitute for native O. sinensis in the face of ever-increasing prices of O. sinensis because of its short supply. On the one hand, cultivated C. militaris contains higher levels of cordycepin when compared with that of wild-type O. sinensis and cultivation of C. militaris has been shown to be capable of reducing the risk of heavy metal contamination. On the other hand, there is a paucity of robust in vivo studies and randomized controlled tests comparing the pharmacology and use of C. militaris and O. sinensis. For extraction of cordycepin as western-style tablets, the use of cultivated C. militaris rather than O. sinensis represents the most appropriate future approach. For many other purposes, comparative pharmacology and clinical trials are in urgent needs.冬虫夏草和蛹虫草（别称北冬虫夏草）是虫草属中研究最多的名贵真菌（蘑菇），二者均富含具有独特生物活性的化合物，因此具有潜在的药用价值。冬虫夏草源自藏医药。近二十年来，其市场需求飞涨，导致野生资源价格飙升，供不应求。冬虫夏草生长条件苛刻、周期长，虽然人工培养已取得了一些进展，但尚未取得完全成功。相对而言，蛹虫草人工培养简便，而且已经成功。本综述讨论人工培养蛹虫草在替代冬虫夏草、缓解供需矛盾中可能发挥的作用。一方面，与野生冬虫夏草相比，人工培养蛹虫草含有更丰富的虫草素（具有抗癌功效），而且可通过标准化培养避免野生资源的重金属污染；另一方面，蛹虫草和野生冬虫夏草的高质量动物实验和临床对照研究极度缺乏。 因此，作为虫草素提取的原料，适于用人工培养的蛹虫草代替野生或培养的冬虫夏草；而对于冬虫夏草其它用途的替代方案，则亟待高质量的比较药理学和临床研究。

AB - Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris both contain many bioactive compounds that confer potential therapeutic benefits. This review discusses the possible use of cultivated C. militaris as an effective substitute for native O. sinensis in the face of ever-increasing prices of O. sinensis because of its short supply. On the one hand, cultivated C. militaris contains higher levels of cordycepin when compared with that of wild-type O. sinensis and cultivation of C. militaris has been shown to be capable of reducing the risk of heavy metal contamination. On the other hand, there is a paucity of robust in vivo studies and randomized controlled tests comparing the pharmacology and use of C. militaris and O. sinensis. For extraction of cordycepin as western-style tablets, the use of cultivated C. militaris rather than O. sinensis represents the most appropriate future approach. For many other purposes, comparative pharmacology and clinical trials are in urgent needs.冬虫夏草和蛹虫草（别称北冬虫夏草）是虫草属中研究最多的名贵真菌（蘑菇），二者均富含具有独特生物活性的化合物，因此具有潜在的药用价值。冬虫夏草源自藏医药。近二十年来，其市场需求飞涨，导致野生资源价格飙升，供不应求。冬虫夏草生长条件苛刻、周期长，虽然人工培养已取得了一些进展，但尚未取得完全成功。相对而言，蛹虫草人工培养简便，而且已经成功。本综述讨论人工培养蛹虫草在替代冬虫夏草、缓解供需矛盾中可能发挥的作用。一方面，与野生冬虫夏草相比，人工培养蛹虫草含有更丰富的虫草素（具有抗癌功效），而且可通过标准化培养避免野生资源的重金属污染；另一方面，蛹虫草和野生冬虫夏草的高质量动物实验和临床对照研究极度缺乏。 因此，作为虫草素提取的原料，适于用人工培养的蛹虫草代替野生或培养的冬虫夏草；而对于冬虫夏草其它用途的替代方案，则亟待高质量的比较药理学和临床研究。

KW - Cordycepin

KW - ophiocordyceps sinensis

KW - cordyceps militaris

U2 - 10.4103/CMAC.CMAC_41_21

DO - 10.4103/CMAC.CMAC_41_21

M3 - Article

SN - 2589-9473

VL - 4

SP - 221

EP - 227

JO - Chinese Medicine and Culture

JF - Chinese Medicine and Culture

IS - 4

ER -