cordyceps

sterols has long been used in Chinese medicine to treat numerous illnesses, promote longevity, relieve exhaustion and increase athletic prowess found only in the highlands of the Himalayan region, and the larva hibernates underground through the winter. The fungus kills the infected host and grows throughout the cadaver, and in the summer, a rod-like stroma of the fungus grows out from the mummi®ed shell of the dead host. A number of bioactive constituents from Cordyceps species have been reported. These include: cordycepin and other antibacterial and antitumor adenosine derivatives ophicordin, an antifungal agent, a polysaccharide shown to have antitumor activity an immunopotentiating galactomannan, and L-tryptophan A recent report indicated that the fruiting body of C. sinensis contained growth inhibitors against tumor cells other than cordycepin and polysaccharides The chemical constituents include (a) cordycepin (30 -deoxyadenosine) and its derivatives, (b) ergosterol, (c) polysaccharides, (d) a glycoprotein and (e) peptides containing a-aminoisobutyric acid. The activities ascribed to the fungus are anti-tumour, antimetastatic, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, anti-microbial, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, anti-aging, neuroprotective and renoprotective effects: So a vast a range of properties from a narrow spread of compounds. Polysaccharides account for the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-metastatic, immunomodulatory, hypoglycaemic, steroidogenic and hypolipidaemic effects. Cordycepin contributes to the anti-tumour, insecticidal and anti-bacterial activity. Ergosterol (a universal fungal compound) exhibits anti-tumour and immunomodulatory activity. Pharmacological actions of Cordyceps, a prized folk medicine It has been used as a tonic for the weak. A voluminous amount of information about the diversity of biological actions of various Cordyceps species is available Pharmacological actions of Cordyceps, a prized folk medicine inhibits the gene expression of interleukin-1􏰌, tumour necrosis factor-􏰋, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2, and suppresses nuclear tran- scription factor NF-􏰍 B activation in the lipopolysaccharide