• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2005

Conidial development of Cordyceps militaris was observed from germinating ascospores and vegetative hyphae through light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ascospores were discharged from fresh specimens of C. militaris in sterile water as well as Sabouraud Dextrose agar plus Yeast Extract (SDAY) plates. We observed ascospore germination and conidial formation periodically. Under submerged condition in sterile water, most part-spores germinated unidirectionally and conidia were developed directly from the tips of germinating hyphae of part-spores within 36 h after ascospore discharge, showing microcyclic conidiation. First-formed conidia were cylindrical or clavate followed by globose and ellipsoidal ones. Germination of ascospores and conidial development were observed on SDAY agar by SEM. Slimy heads of conidia on variously arranged phialides, from solitary to whorl, developed 5 days after ascospore discharge. Besides, two distinct types of conidia, elongated pyriform or cylindrical and globose, were observed in the same slimy heads by SEM. Conidia were shown to be uninucleate with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Conidiogenous cells were more slender than vegetative hyphae, having attenuated tips. Microcyclic conidiation, undifferentiated conidiogenous hyphae (phialides), polymorphic conidia and solitary, opposite to whorled type of phialidic arrangement are reported here as the characteristic features of asexual stage of C. militaris, which can be distinguished from other Cordyceps species.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2006

Cordyceps, one of the well-known traditional Chinese medicines, consists of the dried fungus C. sinensis growing on the larva of caterpillar. It is commonly used as a tonic of restoring vital body functions. In order to evaluate the pharmacological effects of C. militaris, the anti-oxidation and antiaging effect of cultured C. militaris growing on pupa of silkworm Bombyx mori, were investigated. The results showed! that the contents of lipofusin in myocardium were reduced and the SOD activity in the liver were elevated in a dose-dependent manner while no effect was observed for blood GSH-Px activity and liver MDA content in mice perfused with the cultured C. militaris compared to those untreated mice. Furthermore, the average life span, maximum life span and 50% death time of the fruit flies treated with cultured C. militaris were markedly prolonged. The results suggest that the cultured C. militaris growing on pupa of silkworm possesses anti-oxidation and delay senescence activity.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.512-517
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• 2020

Cordyceps militaris has been reported to the diverse pharmaceutical effects including cancer, inflammatory diseases, and bacteria or virus infection. However, the effect of C. militaris on exercise performance has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effect of C. militaris on exercise performance. To evaluate exercise performance, we prepared C. militaris ethyl acetate extract (CMEE) and conducted grip strength tests every week after administration. Additionally, blood samples were collected at the end of the experiment for biochemical analysis. The administration of CMEE slightly increased grip strength, and this result was similar to the red ginseng treated group. According to the result of biochemical analysis, CMEE had an effect on the biomarkers related to ATP generation pathway but had little influence on the muscle fatigue related biomarkers. Therefore, C. militaris has the possibility of improving exercise performance, which could be associated with the increase in ATP production rather than the decrease in muscle fatigue during exercise.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.364-368
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• 2011

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of Cordyceps militaris mycelia on microbial populations and fibrolytic enzyme activities in vitro. C. militaris mycelia was added to buffered rumen fluid with final concentrations of 0.00, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 g/L and incubation times were for 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h. At all incubation times, the supplementation of C. militaris mycelia linearly increased the number of total viable and celluloytic bacteria; maximum responses were seen with 0.25 g/L supplementation of C. militaris mycelia. The addition of C. militaris mycelia above the level of 0.20 g/L significantly (p<0.01) increased the number of total and cellulolytic bacteria compared with the control. On the other hand, the response of fungal counts to the supplementation of C. militaris mycelia showed a linear decrease; the lowest response was seen with 0.30 g/L supplementation of C. militaris mycelia. It would seem that C. militaris mycelia possess a strong negative effect on rumen fungi since the lowest level of C. militaris mycelia supplementation markedly decreased fungal counts. Carboxylmethyl cellulase activities were linearly increased by the addition of C. militaris mycelia except at 3 and 9 h incubation times. At all incubation times, the supplementation of C. militaris mycelia linearly increased the activities of xylanase and avicelase. In conclusion, the supplementation of C. militaris mycelia to the culture of mixed rumen microorganisms showed a positive effect on cellulolytic bacteria and cellulolytic enzyme activities but a negative effect on fungi.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.479-486
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• 2008

The cultural characteristics and antibacterial activities of Cordyceps militaris and Paecilomyces tenuipes were compared. The mycelial growth was the highest on MCM (Mushroom Complete Medium) for C. militaris and on YMA (Yeast Malt Agar) for P. tenuipes. But the mycelial density on MMM (Mushroom Minimal Medium) was lower than other on media. The optimum mycelial growth was observed at $25^{\circ}C$. C. militaris was low mycelial growth when it was transferred over 5 times generation. The carbon source for the optimum mycelial growth was fructose of monosaccharide, maltose of disaccharide and dextrin of polysaccharide. The calcium nitrate of organonitrogen was found the best mycelial growth on C. militaris, while the sodium nitrate observed to be well for mycelial growth on P. tenuipes. The ammonium tartrate was observed to be the best among the inorganonitrogen used for mycelial growth. Antibacterial activities were found out just C. militaris against Bacillus cereus of Gram (+).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1531-1535
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• 2005

The present study was designed to investigate the antidiabetic effect of Cordyceps militaris on activities of hepatic glucose-regulating enzymes, such as glucokinase (GK), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and acetyI-CoA carboxylase (ACC). We have isolated the active compounds, CM-A and CM-B from C. militaris and the extracts are under investigation to determine their mechanism of action. Hepatic GK, PDH and ACC activities were significantly (p < 0.05) increased compared with the control. Treatment with CM-A led to a rise in percentage of enzymes by 380$\%$,396$\%$ and 286$\%$, respectively, relative to control levels. CM-B were 329$\%$, 312$\%$ and 239$\%$, respectively. The increase in GK and ACC activities was linearly proportional with increased ratio of CM-A. Our findings suggest that C. militaris exerted antihyperglycemic potency, which is thought to be mediated through activation of GK, PDH and ACC enzymes related to glucose metabolism directly or indirectly and therefore C. militaris is promising as antidiabetic functional foods.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2014

In order to determine the functional benefits of Cordyceps militaris in the immune system, we examined the immunomodulatory activities of C. militaris using an immunocompromised C57BL/6 mice, mouse spleen cells, RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, and A549 lung carcinoma cells. Mice were injected intraperitioneally with an immunosuppressive drug, cyclophosphamide, and then administered orally with 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg of 50% ethanol extract of C. militaris (CME 30, CME 100 and CME 300) for 14 days. CME increased splenocyte proliferation and natural killer (NK) cell activity compared to 3% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-treated control mice. CME also increased the production of Th1 cytokines, IL-2 and TNF-${\alpha}$ in spleen cells isolated from CME-injected mice and in vitro, which suggested the enhanced cellular immunity in response to CME. CME also increased splenocyte proliferation, NK cell activity, and IL-2 and TNF-${\alpha}$ production compared to 1 ${\mu}M$ methotrexate-treated spleen cells in vitro. We examined whether C. militaris regulates the production of inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. CME inhibited LPS-induced NO production and iNOS expression in a dose dependent manner, while COX-2 expression was remained unchanged. In addition, CME also has free radical scavenging activity, indicating its antioxidant activity. These results indicate that C. militaris enhances immune activity by promoting immune cell proliferation and cytokine production.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.233-235
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• 2008

Medicinal mushrooms, including Cordyceps militaris, have received attention in Korea because of their biological activities. In the fruiting body and in corpus of C. militaris, the total free amino acid content was 69.32 mg/g and 14.03 mg/g, respectively. In the fruiting body, the most abundant amino acids were lysine, glutamic acid, proline and threonine. The fruiting body was rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which comprised about 70% of the total fatty acids. The most abundant unsaturated acid was linoleic acid. There were differences in adenosine and cordycepin contents between the fruiting body and the corpus. The adenosine concentration was 0.18% in the fruiting body and 0.06% in the corpus, and the cordycepin concentration was 0.97% in the fruiting body and 0.36% in the corpus.

• 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.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.440-446
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• 2004

Interest in in vitro study of entomopathogenic fungi, including Cordyceps species, has been increasing due to their valuable bioactive compounds and biocontrol effects. Among Cordyceps species, in vitro stromata of C militaris has been successfully produced and cultivated for industrial purposes. However, genetic study on in vitro stromata formation of C militaris has not been carried out yet. Here, relationship between mating system and perithecial stromata formation of C militaris is reported. Mating system was determined by observing perithecial stromata formation from mono-ascospore cultures and their pair-wise combinations. Certain combinations of mono-ascospore strains produced perithecial club-shaped stromata, whereas other combinations produced either no stromata or only abnormal non-perithecial stromata. Similarly, mono­ascospore cultures without combination produced either no stromata or only abnormal non­perithecial stromata. Despite obvious heterothallism, self-fertility was occasionally observed in few strains of C militaris. These observations indicated that C militaris behaves as a bipolar het­erothallic fungus and requires two mating compatible strains in order to produce regular club­shaped perithecial stromata, a fundamental requirement for its industrial cultivation.