• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2009

The caterpillar-shaped Chinese medicinal mushroom (DongChongXiaCao) looks like a worm in the winter and like a grass in the summer. The fruiting body has been regarded as popular folk or effective medicines used to treat human diseases such as asthma, bronchial and lung inflammation, and kidney disease. The fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris, C. pruinosa and Paecilomyces tenuipes that formed on the living silkworm (Bombyx mori) host were used in this examination. This study was carried out to investigate the soluble sugar, amino acid and fatty acid profiles in the fruiting-bodies. Soluble sugars such as glycerol, glucose, mannitol and sucrose were mainly found in the fruiting bodies of C. militaris, C. pruinosa and P. tenuipes. Total soluble sugar content was 29.23 mg/g in C. militaris, 8.61 mg/g in C. pruinosa and 24.00 mg/g 1in P. tenuipes on dry weight basis. Total free amino acid content was 14.09 mg/g 1in C. militaris, 34.60 mg/g in C. pruinosa and 17.09 mg/g in P. tenuipes. The content of oleic acid in fatty acids was above high more than 30% regardless of species.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.27 no.1 s.88
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• pp.15-19
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• 1999

One hundred and six Cordyceps cultures including five cultures of Paecilomyces tenuipes were used for production of artificial fruiting body. In the test of artificial fruiting body formation, no fruiting bodies were induced on media containing PDA and ground silkworm pupae with liquid nitrogen. The best fruiting body formation was showed on media which mixed at the ratio of 1 unsticky rice to 3.5 water. But fruiting bodies formed on media mixed at the ratio 1 unpolished rice to 2.5 water. Optimal temperature in inducing artificial fruiting body was at $20^{\circ}C$. Twenty seven isolates were selected as good cultures for production of artificial fruiting body. Maturation of fruiting bodies incubated on rice grain media was completed for about 50 to 65 days.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.31-33
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate pathogenicity of liquid spawns on dongchunghacho growing using silkworm, optimum infective condition for mass production and infection rate on various conservation periods and temperatures. We compared with the infection rates after conservation the liquid spawns (Paecilomyces tenuipes) at 4$^{\circ}C$ and 25$^{\circ}C$ for 10 days and 20 days. In these results, infection rate of conservated liquid spawns at 4$^{\circ}C$ was 88.0 percent in the tenth day, and then again it was 5.3 percent at 25$^{\circ}C$. Infection rates at 4$^{\circ}C$ were on the whole excellent out of long-term preservation methods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.247-266
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• 2017

Cordyceps is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb well-known in China, Korea and Japan since B.C. 2,000. The original entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps sinensis belonging to the genus Cordyceps could not be found inside Korean peninsula due to the absence of the host insect for the corresponding entomogenous fungus. The development of artificial production methods of Korean type Cordyceps using the silkworm Bombyx mori as in vivo culture medium for the the entomopathogenic fungus Paecilomyces tenuipes is the first, and wonderful occasion in the research history of insect industry of this global world. The aim of this article is to review the historical research background, mass-production methods, and pharmacological effects of the silkworm-dongchunghacho (Paecilomyces tenuipes) which is a newly developed Korean medicinal insect-borne mushroom, and another non-insect-borne medicinal mushroom (Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps pruinosa). Their biological actions include anti-tumor, immunostimulating, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombosis, hypolipidaemic and insecticidal effects. The bioactive principles are protein-bound polysaccharides (hexose, hexosamin), cordycepin, D-manitol, acidic polysaccharide etc. Protein-bound polysaccharides and n-butanol fractions were demonstrated to show a significant anti-tumor activities but did not show a cytotoxicities. D-mannitol exhibited a significant prolongation of the life span in tumor bearing mice. Ergosterol did not show an efficient anti-tumor activity, but showed a significant phagocytosis enhancing activity. Anti-tumor activity of silkworm-dongchunghacho might be attributed to immuno-stimulating activities rather than cytotoxic effects [164]. Also this review comprises the breeding of Dongchunghacho varieties, optimization of culture conditions, improvement of learning and memory by Dongchunghacho, application of them as foods and chemical constituents.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2009

Three different Cordyceps militaris(Paecilomyces tenuipes and Cordyceps militaris from grain or pupae) were analysed for their chemical composition, fatty acids composition and the concentration of amino acids, cordycepin and heavy metal to obtain basic information on them as feed supplements for livestock. The crude protein content of C. militaris from grain and pupae was 76.16 and 75.45%, respectively, being higher than that of P. tenuipes(57.21%). The concentration of linoleic acid was much higher but that of linolenic acid was much lower for C. militaris from grain than for the others. The cordycepin content was significantly higher for C. militaris from grain than for that from pupae (1.64% vs 0.68% on a DM basis). But cordycepin was not detected in P. tenuipes. Heavy metal contents(Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg) for all C. militaris were below the allowance levels recommended by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Republic of Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop traditional Korean rice gruels using sericultures. The SOD-like activities of the sericultures were in the order of 39.56%(Paecilomyces tenuipes: PT)>26.91%(Mulberry leaf: ML)>7.68%(Mulberry fruit: MF). The total phenolic acid contents were ML(0.21 mg/ml)>PT(0.16 mg/ml)>MF(0.07 mg/ml). The ML was the highest in all the groups. In the sensory evaluation, for overall quality, the rice gruel with ML was scored higher than the other samples, The brightness(L) of the rice gruels with sericultures were PT>MF>ML, and redness(a) was highest for MF(3.70) and yellowness(b) was highest for PT(17.74). The moisture contents of the gruels were 0.38%, 0.19%, and 0.07%, for ML, MF, and PT, respectively. The ash contents of the gruels were in the order of MF>PT>ML. The crude fat and protein contents were highest in the PT gruels.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

Mushrooms play crucial roles as reservoirs of naturally occurring bioactive compounds. Among these, Cordyceps militaris is significant because of its well-established reputation for organoleptic excellence and positive health effects, which have led to its widespread commercialization. In contrast, the key properties of Paecilomyces variotii, an ectomycorrhizal symbiont, has received limited attention. In alignment with current research trends, the study of the mycelia and culture media of these mushrooms hold promise in identifying potential sources of valuable bioactive compounds. In the present study, we investigated C. militaris and P. variotii for their phenolic acids and sterols, assessing antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory effects, and anti-proliferative activity. Interestingly, P. variotii mycelia exhibited higher concentrations of ergosterol and phenolic compounds, with comparable levels observed in the fruiting bodies, along with superior antioxidant activity compared to that of C. militaris. In contrast, C. militaris mycelia demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects (which were absent in P. variotii mycelia) and cytotoxicity comparable to, and at times exceeding, that of its fruiting bodies (in contrast to P. variotii). In addition, the species analyzed in this study displayed variations in growth rates and mycelial production, which merit consideration for potential future applications and further study.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.26 no.1 s.84
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• pp.1-7
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• 1998

In order to find relationship within and between entomopathogenic species, analysis of protein band pattern in mycelia of 25 isolates was conducted by UPGMA. The results allowed differentiation of three groups on 85% similarity coefficient. Similarity coefficient within C. militaris was $0.787{\sim}1.000$, C. kyushuensis was 0.958-1.000 and C. pruinosa was 0.993-1.000. C210 and C298 isolates which had somewhat immersed perithecia, comparable to other C. militaris isolates, had 91% similarity. C108, C225-1 and C228 isolates pathogenic on Lepidopterous larvae had 89% similarity. Closely related species to C. militaris were C. kyushuensis and C. pruinosa. And similarity between C. pruinosa and C. kyushuensis was 88%. Similarity between C. bifusispora formed conidia on media and Paecilomyces tenuipes was 89%. C. scarabaeicola pathogenic specifically on adult Scarabaeidae had 82% similarity with above two species. C118 identified as C. militaris showed different protein banding patterns.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2010

To compare the quality of manufactured goods distributed in the domestic markets, 6 isolates of Dongchongxiacao products, namely, 4 Paecilomyces tenuipes specimens (J2P, 901A, 901B, and 901C), 1 Cordyceps militaris specimen (901D), and 1 Cordyceps sinensis specimen (CI-1), were analyzed for their physicochemical properties and sequence-structure relationships. P. tenuipes (J2P), a kind of Dongchongxiacao, was successfully inoculated on silkworms by percutaneous infection of Rural Development AdminstraionNam et al., 1999); fruiting bodies were then formed on the complete surface of the pupa. Since P. tenuipes (J2P) from silkworm larva was also proved to have remarkable pharmacological activities, it has been produced in bulk and has been successfully sold to buyers in the Korean market. Additionally, imitation products such as 901A, 901B, 901C, 901D, and CI-1 were sold simultaneously, resulting in deterioration of product quality. This research focuses on establishing quality standards to discriminate between the original and imitation products circulating in the market. The products obtained for the experiments included J2P, 901A, 901B, 901C, 901D, and CI-1; proximate analysis was performed for these products. The hosts and methods of conidia inoculation for proliferation of mycelia differed among the products. P. tenuipes (J2P) was proliferated in live silkworm larvae, and dead silkworm pupae were used to produce 901A, 901B, and 901C. On the other hand, 901D was produced on hulled rice medium. Quality analysis of C. sinensis revealed that CI-1, which was imported from China, smelled bad and proved to be a counterfeit with the fruiting body glued to the insect by twigs. The results of the proximate analysis of 901A, 901B, 901C, and 901D were similar to those of J2P with respect to the moisture content. Otherwise, J2P contained higher crude protein than 901A, 901B, 901C, and 901D, but contained very low fat. C. militaris (901D) and C. sinensis (CI-1) had low crude protein content-12.79% and 9.78% respectively-as compared to that of J2P, which was 62.38%. In contrast to the crude ash content of 6.4% in J2P, the crude ash content of CI-1 was 18.51% and this specimen was found to contain many impurities. phylogenetic analysis of P. tenuipes revealed that the sequence similarity of J2P, 901B, and 901C was in the range of 92.3~92.7%. Additionally, differences in the sequences were found at the positions 65 bp, 436 bp, 441 bp, 463 bp, etc.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2017

Traditional Korean fermented herbal plants are potential sources of new food that promote health, but they are still produced by yeast, fungi or bacteria fermentation. In the present work, mushroom (Paecilomyces tenuipes and Cordyceps militaris) fungal dongchunghacho were used to fermented Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer (licorice) or mixed with pupa. The pupa were tested as solid substrates for the production of corcycepin, liquiritin, and liquiritigenin. The fermented substrates were analyzed the content of cordycepin, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, and glycirrhizin productivity and inhibitory activity of NO. The cordycepin content of 70% EtOH extract from the fermented mixture of licorice and 50% pupa with C. militaris increased maximum at 33 times. Pupa was very excellent for the production of cordycepin. The liquiritin content was decreased in all the assays inoculated with P. tenuipes and C. militaris dongchunghachos. The liquiritigenin content was higher when fermented with P. tenuipes than C. militaris. The addition of pupa significantly reduced the liquiritin content and glycyrrhizin production. As a result, the liquiritigenin content increased in fermented P. tenuipes and C. militaris, and liquiritin and glycyrrhizin decreased. The inhibition of NO production in the different ethanolic extracts fermented with licorice and pupa was also significantly increased and higher than that of a nonfermented extract in higher polar solvent extracts. The contents of cordycepin and biological active compounds were altered in accordance with the concentration of pupa and fungi. This study provides basic data for use in developing dongchunghacho fungi as a functional food resource.