• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 2024

Hepatic fibrosis refers to the scarring of liver tissue, often resulting from chronic liver injury or inflammation. It is characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, impairing liver function and potentially progressing to cirrhosis if left untreated. To improve the liver functions, Cordyceps militaris, a species of parasitic fungus known for its medicinal properties, is used in the form of extract. It has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine to boost energy, improve stamina, and support overall health. In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Cordyceps militaris extract powder in a liver injury model induced by hepatic fibrosis. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were administered Dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) to induce liver injury, and the hepatoprotective effects of Cordyceps militaris extract powder intake were assessed by comparing changes in liver enzyme levels and histological observations. Rats injected with DMN were orally administered Cordyceps militaris extract powder at doses of 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg·kg^-1·day^-1 for three weeks. After three weeks of treatment, no significant differences were observed in hematological, clinical chemical, organ weight, gross examination, or microscopic examination between the DMN-alone group and the Cordyceps militaris extract powder-treated group. In conclusion, hepatoprotective effects against DMN-induced liver injury in SD rats treated with Cordyceps militaris extract powder were not observed under this study condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.217-222
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• 2004

Feeding effects of Cordyceps militaris extract powder in rats were as follows. Triglyceride content was appeared a superior decreasing effect, total cholesterol and phospholipid content were showed relatively low decreasing effect. At this time, 3%(w/w) level of Cordyceps militaris extract powder contents was most effective to decrease these lipids content. As increasing the treating amount of Cordyceps militaris extract powder, the level of plasma glucose was decreased. But these decreasing ratio was not proportioned to the increased treating amount directly. The change of insulin level on plasma, pancreas and femur was proportioned to the plasma glucose concentration also. The Treating amount of Cordyceps militaris extract powder was very close to the decreased ratio of insulin level.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2024

Cordyceps militaris L. (C. militaris) has been traditionally used as tonic medicine for metabolic syndrome. Cordycepin, has been reported with immunomodulatory, antitumor, and hepatoprotective effect, is the main extract from C. militaris. This study was conducted to evaluate the alcohol degradation and hepatoprotective effect of cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract (CM) powder in chronic and binge ethanol (ethanol Lieber-DeCarli diet)-fed male C57BL/6 Mice. Cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract powder was orally administered once daily at dose levels of 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg·kg^-1·day^-1 for 16 days. For evaluating alcohol degradation, ethanol concentration and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity were measured in serum. Serum ethanol (EtOH) concentration was decreased at CM treated groups, and the activities of ADH and ALDH were increased dose-dependently at CM treated groups compare to EtOH model group. In clinical chemistry, the values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were lower in CM treated groups than those in EtOH model group. Additionally, absolute and relative (to body weight) liver weights were statistically decreased in the CM treated groups compared to the EtOH model group. In conclusion, our study showed that cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract powder exhibits hepatoprotective effect by upregulating the ADH and ALDH enzyme in an alcoholic liver disease model.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2024

Herbal medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris has been traditionally used as tonic medicine for metabolic syndrome. Cordycepin, main extract of C. militaris, has been reported with immunomodulatory, anticancer, and hepatoprotective effects. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential hepatoprotective effect of cordycepin-enriched Cordyceps militaris, against high fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis (HS) in male obese (ob/ob) mice. HFD was provided to ob/ob mice ad libitum (except negative control). Cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract powder (CM) was orally administered once daily at dose levels of 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg·kg^-1 for 4 weeks. During the study, body weight gain was statistically increased in all HFD fed groups compared to negative control, but body weight gain in CM 500 mg·kg^-1 treated group shows a low tendency compared to HS model group. In organ weights, absolute and relative weights (to body weight) in liver and perirenal adipose tissue were increased in all HFD treated groups except CM 500 mg·kg^-1 treated group compared to the negative control. In clinical chemistry, serum glucose and total cholesterol levels in CM 250 and/or 500 mg·kg^-1 treated groups were lower than HS model group. In microscopical examination, hepatocyte vacuolation with macrovesicles in HS model group was increased compared to negative control, but this finding was decreased in CM 500 mg·kg^-1 treated group compared to HS model group. In this study, CM exhibited hepatoprotective effects against hepatic steatosis at mg·kg^-1 in ob/ob mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.158-161
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• 2005

We have isolated fractions from Cordyceps militaris and Paecilomyces japonica and investigated their effects on the activity of rat liver cytosolic glucokinase, a key metabolic enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The dried powder of the C. militaris and P. japonica were successively extracted with ethanol and with 70% ethanol. The residue was exhaustively extracted with hot water. The extract was dialyzed against water, and to the non-dialyzable solution was added 2 volumes of ethanol. The precipitate was collected by centrifugation dispered in water, and lyophilized to afford fraction A. The residue after hot-water extraction was suspended in 5% sodium carbonate. The final residue was suspended in 5% NaOH. The alkaline suspension was purified in a similar manner as described above to afford fraction B. Hepatic glucokinase activities of the fraction A extracted from C. militaris and P. japonica were 371.4 and 379%, respectively. The fraction B was 314.2 and 147.4%. The activity of fraction B of C. militaris extracts was higher than that of P. japonica. Liver cytosolic glucokinase activity of rats fed normal diet supplemented with 0.1% C. militaris was 1316%. In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that C. militaris extracts were able to prevent sudden postprandial peaks in blood glucose as a result of a marked increase in the liver cytosolic glucokinase activities.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.271-284
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• 2001

This study was performed to investigate the effects of dried powders and water extracts of Paecilomyces tenuipes(P. tenuipes) and Cordyceps militaris(C. militaris) on lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation and antioxidative capacity and immune status in rats. Thirty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats weighting 195$\pm$21g were grouped into five according to body weight. Ratw were raised for four weeks with diet containing either 4%, 2%(w/w) of dried P. tenuipes powders(TP-4, TP-2) or water extracts from equal amounts of each 4% P. tenuipes and C. militaris powder(TE-4, ME-4). Food intake, weight gain of all groups were not significantly different from those of control group. Lipid metabolism in general was not significantly different among all the groups. However both dried P. tenuipes powder lowered plasma cholesterol level slightly, water extract groups showed tendency of higher plasma HDL-cholesterol and lower liver cholesterol levels than control. Plasma and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance(TBARS) concentrations of all the experimental groups were lower than control group. Red blood cell(RBC) and liver superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities were not generally different among all groups. Liver xanthine oxidase(XOD) activities of all groups were tended to be lower than control group. Proliferation of aplenocytes induced by mitogens, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide, were increased in TP-2 group. The TP-4 group showed increased CD8 T cells and MHC class II expression without changes in CD4 T cells, B cells and G/M ratio, suggesting activated cytotoxic T cell activity in vivo. Increase of G/M ratio but not of MHC class II in TP-2 group indicated the possible acute inflammatory reaction by the ingested substances in gastrointestinal tract. ME-4 group showed enhanced cellular immunity without vigorous changes of immune parameters in brief periods. In conclusion, both P. tenuipes and C. militaris stimulated antioxidant capacity and immune status in rats. Among groups, water extract of C. militaris was most effective in both capacities, though dried powder of P. tenuipes at 2% dietary level was more effective in antioxidant activity, as various results by different strains were observed.(Korean J Nutrition 34(3) : 271~284, 2001)

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.249-258
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• 2013

The antioxidative activity and bioactivity of water, ethanol, and methanol extracts from Paecilomyces japonica (PJ), Cordyceps militaris (CM), and cordycepin-enriched C. militaris JLM0636 ($CM{\alpha}$) were tested in in vitro experimental models. The PJ water extract showed the highest extraction yield (42.53%). The highest content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were found in the water extract of PJ, 2.72% and 1.73%, respectively. The major minerals were K, Mg, and Ca. The water extracts of PJ also showed the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity and reducing power. Linoleic acid peroxidation and antioxidative activities were strong in $CM{\alpha}$. The methanol extracts of PJ showed the highest inhibition activity against tyrosinase. Fibriolytic activity was higher in $CM{\alpha}$ than in CM. These results may provide basic data to understand the biological activities of bioactive materials derived from $CM{\alpha}$ for the development of functional foods, cosmetics, and antithrombotics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.786-794
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• 2018

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) pupae have been widely worked in wound dressing, hepatoprotective activity, antigenotoxicity, control of glucose level and anti-cancer activity. To investigate the anti-obesity activity of ethanol extract of silkworm pupae powder fermented with Cordyceps militaris (ESfC), the free glycerol release and cAMP concentration as well as fat accumulation were measured in the primary adipocytes of SD (Sprague Dawley) rats and high fat diet (HFD)-treated C57BL/6 mice treated with 12 weeks. Firstly, the presence of the cordycepin with lipid lowering effect was confirmed in ESfC using HPLC analysis. The level of free glycerol and cAMP concentration was significantly increased in the primary adipocytes treated with high dose of ESfC ($400{\mu}g/ml$) although these levels were consistently maintained in other dose ESfC treated groups. In HFD-induced obesity model, the increased fat weight and size of adipocytes in HFD+Vehicle treated group was recovered in HFD+ESfC treated group. Also, the liver weight and the number of lipid droplets were higher in HFD+Vehicle treated group than No treated group. But, this level was significantly decreased in HFD+ESfC treated group compared with HFD+Vehicle treated group. Furthermore, a similar recovery was detected on the phosphorylation of periliphin and HSL, and ATGL expression. Overall, the results of the present study provide some scientific evidences that ESfC can stimulate lipolysis in primary adipocytes and prevent fat accumulation in HFD-treated obesity model, and therefore have the potential for use as anti-obesity agents to treat obese patient.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2006

Entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps militaris is famous for its medicinal efficacies. It has been reported to have various pharmacological activities such as anti-tumour, insecticidal, antibacterial, immunomodulatory and antioxidant. In this study, we investigated the effect of the extract of C. militaris (MPUN8501), which was identified by the analysis of the nucleotide sequences of 5.8S ribosomal RNA, on the function of liver. C. militaris powder was extracted using hot water extracts method as time, volume and temperature and using method as differential polarity of organic solvent. Each fraction was tested for the improvement of hepatic enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. The BuOH extracts (CME) had highest activity which was used for the test of toxicity and efficacy of C. militaris. The enhancing effect of CME on the activity of ADH and ALDH was much more than medicine, drink, natural tea etc. Thus CME promoted the resolution of alcohol and acetaldehyde in rats, inducing recovery to normal condition rapidly. Furthermore, oral administration of CME effectively protected the carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatic injury as revealed by the hematological parameters (levels of sGOT and sGPT) and histological observation. CME was ascertained to be safe by regulatory toxicity studies of single dose toxicity and genotoxicity. These results suggest that CME would be useful for the maintaining normal hepatic activity as a functional health food.