• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2009

The mushroom Cordyceps militaris has been used for a long time in eastern Asia as a nutraceutical and in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for cancer patients. In the present study, a cytotoxic antifungal protease was purified from the dried fruiting bodies of C. militaris using anion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Sepharose column. Electrophoretic analyses indicated that this protein, designated C. militaris protein(CMP), has a molecular mass of 12 kDa and a pI of 5.1. The optimum conditions for protease activity were a temperature of $37^{\circ}C$ and pH of $7.0{\sim}9.0$. The enzyme activity was specifically inhibited by the serine protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. Amino acid composition of intact CMP and amino acid sequences of three major peptides from a tryptic digest of CMP were determined. CMP exerted strong antifungal effect against the growth of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, and exhibited cytotoxicity against human breast and bladder cancer cells. These results indicate that C. militaris represents a source of a novel protein that might be applied in diverse biological and medicinal applications.

• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.178-181
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• 2005

Cordyceps militaris specimens were continuously collected by Entomopathogenic Fungal Culture Collection (EFCC), Kangwon National University from different mountains, national parks and recreation parks of Korea from 1986 to 2002, mainly from late May to October of each year. Dry specimens of C. militaris along with their isolates have been preserved in EFCC. Fruiting of C. militaris was induced from single ascospore isolates as well as their combinations in brown rice medium. Fruiting experiments showed that combinations of single ascospore isolates produced fertile fruiting bodies, but single isolates could not produce any fruiting bodies. It was shown that two isolates of the opposite mating types were required to produce fertile stromata. However, combinations of the same mating type isolates produced no fruiting body, showing that C. militaris is a bipolar, heterothallic fungus.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.93-101
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• 2022

Cordyceps militaris mycelium extracts containing high amounts of cordycepin were evaluated in vitro for their anti-inflammatory and tumor cell growth-inhibitory activities. All extracts dose dependently inhibited the increased production of inflammatory mediators including reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and 𝛽-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory cells. All extracts were evaluated for anti-proliferative activity against normal RBL-2H3 cells and diverse types of cancer cell lines, including HCT, MC5-7, U-87MG, AGS, and A549 cells. The extract showed the strongest growth inhibition (IC₅₀ = 28.13 ㎍/mL) relative to vehicle-treated control cells against fibrosarcoma (MC5-7). We have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity of C. militaris via inhibition of NO, ROS production, and 𝛽-hexosaminidase release in activated cells. C. militaris mycelium extract was also evaluated mechanistically and found to exert six types of anti-cancer activity, confirming its pharmacological potential. Our study suggests C. militaris use as a potential source of anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents. C. militaris may also be considered a functional food.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10b
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• pp.79-79
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• 2000

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.31-41
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• 2001

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effects of Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) and Cordyceps Militaris (CM) on anti oxidation in the livers of ${CCl_4}-treated$ rats. Methods : Hepatotoxicity in rats was induced by carbon tetracWoride. $CCl_4-induced$ rats were administered with the extract of CS and CM. Results : In vitro, CS and CM didn't affect levels of lipid peroxide and the activities and type conversion ratio of xanthine oxidase. However, hydroxyl radicals and DPPHL radicals were decreased. In vivo, in the ${CCl_4}-treated$ rats, lipid peroxide, the activities and type conversion ratio of xanthine oxidase and superoxide radicals were increased but superoxide dismutase was decreased. After CS and CM were administered to ${CCl_4}-treated$ rats, levels of lipid peroxide, the activities and type conversion ratio of xanthine oxidase and superoxide radicals were decreased but superoxide dismutase was increased. Conclusions : These results suggest that CS and CM decrease the activities of free-radical-generating enzymes which form lipid peroxide and increase the activities of oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.772-784
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• 2020

This study was performed to investigate the effects of taste-related compounds and antioxidatve profiles of retorted samgyetang made from fresh and dried Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) mushrooms. A total of 48 carcasses were prepared from commercial broilers (CB; Ross, 4 weeks old) and randomly distributed into eight different treatments. Each treatment group consisted of 6 chicken carcasses made with the addition of broth in different condition and concentration of C. militaris mushrooms. The addition concentration was based on the broth volume (v/w) under either fresh or dried conditions ranging from 0% as a control to 1%, 2%, and 3% of C. militaris mushrooms. C. militaris mushrooms contributed to an improvement of meat tenderness and the antioxidative profile that led to a greater suppression of lipid oxidation. The addition of C. militaris mushrooms at 2% could also enrich the flavor and taste-related compounds, particularly the increase in 5'-AMP and umami-related free amino acid compounds, L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid. Different addition forms of C. militaris mushrooms, particularly fresh or dried mushrooms, had only small effects on bioactive compounds, where the dried addition could possibly enrich samgyetang broth with higher cordycepin and adenosine contents than the fresh addition. Besides, the addition of C. militaris mushrooms in the dried form could also contribute to a higher antioxidative profile. Eventually, the addition of C. militaris mushrooms with a minimum addition of 2% contributed to an improvement of meat quality, antioxidative profile and flavor improvement of samgyetang.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.494-500
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• 2012

In order to determine the functional benefits of $Cordyceps$ $militaris$ in the immune system, we examined the immunomodulatory activities of $Cordyceps$ $militaris$ in an immunocompromised C57BL/6 mice model. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with an immunosuppressive drug, cyclophosphamide, and then administered orally with 3% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg of 50% ethanol extract of $Cordyceps$ $militaris$ (CM 30, CM 100, and CM 300, respectively) for 12 days. Mice treated with CM displayed significantly increased splenocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity compared to immunosuppressed control mice (p<0.05). The spleen cells isolated from mice treated with CM also displayed increased production of Th1 cytokines, including IL-2, IL-12, IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$, suggesting enhanced cellular immunity in response to CM. However, CM had no significant effect on the production of IL-4 and IL-10. These results indicate that $Cordyceps$ $militaris$ enhances immune function by promoting immune cell proliferation and Th1 cytokine production.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1022-1029
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• 2003

This study was undertaken to evaluate the antitumor activities of Cordyceps militaris of silkworm pupa (CMP) and silkworm larva (CML), as compared with the effect of cordycepin, an active compound found in Cordyceps militaris. Antiproliferation effect of the test materials were evaluated in the sarcoma-180 cells using the MTT test. For the in vivo study, ICR mice were inoculated i.p. with 1.0 ${\times}$ 10$^{6}$ sarcoma-180 cells/mouse on Day 0, and were again i.p. injected with one of the following substances from Day 1 to Day 10 : saline (control group), 50 mg/kg (CMP50, CML50) ,100 ma/kg (CMP100, CML100), or 200 mg/kg (CMP200, CML200) of Cordyceps militaris water extracts, or 1 mg/kg (C1), 2 mg/kg (C2), or 4 mg/kg (C4) of cordycepin. Pretreatment of the sarcoma-180 cells with 100 mg/ml, 500 mg/ml, and 1000 mg/ml of CML (60.1$\pm$2.5％, 49.8$\pm$3.7％, and 45.4$\pm$0.1％ of the value for untreated control cells, respectively) or CMP (68.3$\pm$2.1％, 55.1$\pm$0.9％, and 51.4$\pm$3.5％ of the value for control cells, respectively) for 48 hrs significantly decreased the survival rate (proliferation) of tumor cells (p<0.05). Body weight of the control mice bearing ascites tumor and injected with saline was 1.4 times of the value for normal animals at day 18. Mice bearing ascites tumor and injected with cordycepin (1, 2, or 4 mg/kg) exhibited a significantly lighter body weight compared with the control mice, while animals injected with CMP or CML (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg) showed a significantly lighter body weight compared with the mice injected with cordycepin. Mice injected with CMP50, CMP100, or CMP200 mg/kg (or CML50, CML100, or CML200 mg/kg) showed a 133％ (or 90％), 80％ (or 62％), and 68％ (or 52％) longer mean survival time, and those treated with C1, C2, or C4 exhibited a 54％, 91％ and 80％ longer survival time compared to the value for control mice injected with saline. These results indicate that the hot-water extracts of Cordyceps militaris of both silkworm pupa and silkworm larva have an anti-proliferation effect of tumor cells as well as the life prolongation effect in mice bearing ascites tumor, which are superior to the activities of cordycepin.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.144-149
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was evaluated physiological activity of processed sulfur with Cordyceps militaris mycelium. Effect of blood glucose levels and lipid metabolism on streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats. To evaluate of hypoglycemic effects in vivo, we examined blood glucose levels, serum lipid profile and hepatotoxicity of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Hypoglycemic effect of CM, CM+PSL and CM+PSH groups was significantly higher than DC groups. The activities of ALT, AST and ALP in CM+PSH group were lower than DC, PC groups. These results suggested that processed sulfur with Cordyceps militaris mycelium have activities of hypoglycemic effects.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.741-747
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• 2001

The effects of fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris on the growth, the food intake, the food efficiency ratio, the lipid metabolism, the serum protein level ad enzyme activity in male rats were studied. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed four types of diets for five weeks, respectiely: a control diet, a control diet supplemented with 2%, 3% or 4% fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris(CF) powder. In rats fed 2% or 3% CF diets the body weight gain, the food intake, the concentratons of hepatic triglyceride and serum LDL-cholesterol, the atherogenic index, and the total lipid, total cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid in serum were similar to those in rats fed the control diet. Whereas, in 4% CF diet these were significantly decrased. But the all CF diets feeding could not decrease the food efficiency ratio, the weights of liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney and heart, and the concentration of serum HDL-cholesterol. Also, it was shown that the concentrations of glucose, total protein, albumin, urea and creatinine, and the GOT, GPT, LDH, ${\gamma}$-GTP and ALP activities were the same levels in serum of rats of fed all the experimental diets.