• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2012

We previously isolated cordycepin, guanosine and tryptophan from Cordyceps militaris as antiadipogenic constituents. For the quality control of C. militaris for anti-adipogenic activity, simultaneous analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD) was developed and validated. Quantitation of these compounds in various Cordyceps samples from different sources and various extraction methods were conducted using developed method. Our study shows that natural Cordyceps and host insect possess higher content than cultured ones and fruiting bodies, respectively. The content of cordycepin showed great difference in different C. militaris samples whereas trytophan content was similar in tested samples. Addition of water to extraction solvent greatly increased the yield of guanosine and tryptophan. High temperature and longer extraction time increased yield of guanosine, whereas the content of trytophan was decreased in high temperature during extraction with water. Extraction using ultrasonic apparatus slightly increased extraction efficiency. Cordycepin, however, has little variation in different extraction method tested. Strong anti-adipogenic activity was observed in the samples that contain all the three constituents. Taken together, quantitation of these compounds using developed analytical method might provide basic requirement for the anti-adipogenic activity of C. militaris.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.94-105
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• 1993

The genus Cordyceps known as an insect parasite forms a sclerotium in insect bodies and then produces perithecia on the single or multiple stromata produced from sclerotium. Collected Cordyceps were identified into 5 species: Cordyceps militaris, C. nutans, Cordyceps sphecocephala, Isaria japonica, and Torrubiella sp. The fruit bodies of Cordyceps in petri-dish cover were fixed by tape and put the lid on water agar plates to isolate these collected Cordyceps. The germinated spores were transferred from water agar to Potato dextrose agar(PDA) after six hours. Mycelial growth of C. nutans and C. militaris was the most successful on Hamada media and was also good on Complete media and PDA. Mannose as a carbon source was good for two species and Glutamic acid as a nitrogen source was satisfactory to C. militaris and Asparagine gave a good result to C. nutans. C. militaris and C. nutans showed similar mycelial growth rate on the media that contained thiamine-HCI, biotine or nicotinic acid as a vitamine. When conidia of C. nutans were inoculated to insects, mortality was high in Artogeia napi L, Hemiptera, Plutella xylostella and 50% in Orthoptera, 12% in Acantholyda posticalise M, but not Agelastica coerulea B. in Aphididae, C. nutans was collected from only Hemiptera in nature, but killing effect on other insects was proved. Mycelial growth and fruit-body formation were good on the media that consist of rice powder 5g, wheat flour 5g, water 100ml, but formed fruit-body was not complete stromata but a mass of conidia according to results of observing microscope.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.536-539
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• 1998

The anti-complementary activity (immuno-stimulating activity) was tested for the exo-polymers (extra-cellular polymer) produced from submerged mycelial cultures of 21 types of higher fungi. Anti-complementary activity of the exo-polymer from Cordyceps militaris showed the highest (69.0%) followed by Pleurotus ostreatus (63.7%) and Trametes suaveolens (61.4%). The mycelial growth rate and biomass doubling time of C. militaris in a 5 I air-lift fermenter were 0.0255 $h^{-1}$ and 27.2 h, respectively. The yield of the exo-polymer produced from the culture broth of C. militaris was 2.95 mg of dry weight/ml of culture broth. Sugar and amino acid compositions of this exo-polymer were analyzed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.820-827
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• 2015

The present study was performed to investigate the various radical scavenging activities of fermented Undaria pinnatifida by the mycelia fermentation method. U. pinnatifida was fermented with Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris ) mycelia using solid culture and compared with unfermentated U. pinnatifida and C. militaris mycelia for antioxidant activities. The various radical scavenging activities of extracts from U. pinnatifida fermented with C. militaris mycelia (FUCM) were evaluated by electron spin resonance. The antioxidant activities of the FUCM extracts were assayed for ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity, and oxygen radical absorption capacity. The free radical scavenging activity of FUCM extracts was higher than that of C. militaris mycelia or U. pinnatifida alone. FUCM extracts were significantly (p < 0.05) increased up to 35 times, 10 times, and 16 times that of U. pinnatifida extracts on DPPH, alkyl, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, respectively. These results indicate that FUCM extracts have different chemical ingredients from U. pinnatifida and could provide beneficial antioxidant activity.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.128-132
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• 2010

Injection inoculation protocols for fruit body formation of Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) were investigated to improve the incidence of infection in the silkworm species Bombyx mori (B. mori). Injection, with suspensions of C. militaris hyphal bodies into living silkworm pupae, was used to test for fruit body production. Use of Daeseungjam rather than Baegokjam or Keumokjam varieties of B. mori is thought to be suitable for infection by C. militaris. From mounting, nine-day-old to 11-day-old pupae showed the best incidence of infection with a $100\;{\mu}L$ injection volume. Silkworm pupae injected with a hyphal suspension concentration of more than $2\;{\times}\;10^5$ colony-forming unit (cfu) recorded a greater than 96% incidence of infection. Also, fruit bodies of C. militaris were induced and produced at a light intensity between 500 and 1,000 lx.

• Mycobiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.131-137
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• 2006

In vitro fruiting bodies were produced from ten different isolates of Condyceps militaris EFCC C-5736, EFCC C-5941, EFCC C-5976, EFCC C-6040, EFCC C-6849, EFCC C-7268, EFCC C-7342, EFCC C-7992, EFCC C-8027 and EFCC C-8549. Single ascospores were isolated from in vitro grown fruiting bodies and used for fruiting body production in brown rice medium by both intra-strain crossing and out-crossing. Length and dry wt. of stromata grown in vitro were measured. Strains producing highest dry wt. of stromata were selected. Both intra-strain crossings and inter-strain crossings of single ascospore strains were found to produce profuse fruiting bodies of C. militaris.

• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2005

Pigmentation of ascospore-derived isolates from seven different natural specimens of Cordyceps militaris EFCC C-5888, EFCC C-7159, EFCC C-7833, EFCC C-7991, EFCC C-8021, EFCC C-8023 and EFCC C-8179 was observed on the plates of Sabouraud Dextrose agar plus Yeast Extract at $25^{\circ}C$ under continuous illumination (500 lux). Pigmentation of the wild-type isolates of C. militaris was diverse ranging from yellowish white to orange, while white color was believed as a mutant. Inheritance of pigmentation was found to be controlled by both parental isolates when F1 progeny were analyzed. Pigmentation and mating type were shown to be either independent or distantly linked each other due to the high percentage of non-parental phenotypes among F1 progeny. Crosses between white mutant isolates of C. militaris yielded progeny with wild type pigmentations, indicating that the albino mutations in the parents were unlinked to each other.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.105-108
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• 2001

The wild entomopathogenic fungi, Cordyceps militaris, were collected at the Whawang mountain, Korea. The pupae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, were used as infecting hosts for the production of the silkworm-mili-taris dongchunhacho, silkworm vegetable wasps and plant worms with C. militaris. Three inoculation methods in terms of injection, spray and immersion were tested against the silkworm pupae. The three inocu1ation methods revealed 100% infectivity to the silkworm pupae tested. Of the three inoculation methods, the injection method was highly effective in the reduction of the period required for the endosclerotium and the completion of fruiting body formation. These results indicate that the silkworm pupae are very effective host insects for the production of C. militaris.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.336-343
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• 2013

In a continuation of investigation on Cordyceps militaris, thirteen compounds were isolated from the $CH_2Cl_2$ and n-BuOH-soluble fraction of C. militaris. They were identified as twelve diketopiperazines such as cyclo($\small{L}$-Gly-$\small{L}$-Pro) (1), cyclo($\small{L}$-Ala-$\small{L}$-Pro) (2), cyclo($\small{L}$-Ser-$\small{L}$-Pro) (3), cyclo($\small{L}$-Val-$\small{L}$-Pro) (4), cyclo($\small{L}$-Thr-$\small{L}$-Pro) (5), cyclo($\small{L}$-Pro-$\small{L}$-Pro) (6), cyclo($\small{L}$-Thr-$\small{L}$-Leu) (7), cyclo($\small{L}$-Tyr-$\small{L}$-Ala) (8), cyclo($\small{L}$-Phe-$\small{L}$-Ser) (9), cyclo($\small{L}$-Phe-$\small{L}$-Pro) (10), cyclo($\small{L}$-Tyr-$\small{L}$-Pro) (11) and brevianamide F (13), and an amino acid, tryptophan (12). Their structures were identified on the basis of chemical evidences and spectroscopic analysis including 1D-NMR ($^1H$, $^{13}C$), 2D-NMR (HSQC, HMBC) and MS spectral data. Among the isolated compounds, compounds 1, 2, 6-11 are first reported from C. militaris.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.115-115
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• 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been estimating the potential of insects as human food and animal feed for convincing food security since 2010. On account of this reason, Tenebrio molitor larvae have been gaining considerable attention as an alternative protein source for various foods. However, consumers do not prefer them because of their disgusting appearance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method that improve their appearance as to lead to T. molitor larvae consumption. In this study, T. molitor larvae which is prepared for optimally sampling conditions (shade drying, 30 min boiling after hot air drying, 30 min steaming after hot air drying), were cultured with Cordyceps militaris mycelia, and measured growth and density of mycelial. Also analyzed the cordycepin and adenosine content compared with commercial C. militaris. As a result, T. molitor larvae cultivated with C. militaris mycelia showed the highest cordycepin content (13.75 mg/g) was observed in optimal sampling conditions (shade drying). Therefore, we report that the methods which T. molitor larvae cultivated with C. militaris mycelia not only improve their appearance but also increase cordycepin content, which can be contributed to lead T. molitor larvae consumption.