• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2012

Interest in commercial cultivation and product development of Cordyceps species has shown a recent increase. Due to its biochemical and pharmacological effects, Cordyceps militaris, commonly known as orange caterpillar fungus, is being investigated with great interest. Cultivation of C. militaris has been practiced on a large scale in order to fulfill a demand for scientific investigation and product development. Isolates of C. militaris can be easily established from both spores and tissue. For isolation of spores, ascospores released from mature stromata are trapped in sterile medium. Multi-ascospore isolates, as well as combinations of single ascospore strains, are used for production of fruiting bodies. Progeny ascospore strains can be isolated from artificial fruiting bodies, thus, the cycle of fruiting body production can be continued for a long period of time. In this study, we examined fruiting body production from multi-ascospore isolates and their progeny strains for three generations. $F_1$ progeny strains generally produced a larger number of fruiting bodies, compared with their mother multi-ascospore isolates; however, $F_2$ and $F_3$ progeny strains produced fewer fruiting bodies. Optimum preservation conditions could help to increase the vitality of the progeny strains. In order to retain the fruiting ability of the strains, further testing of various methods of preservation and different methods for isolation should be performed.

• Mycobiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.196-199
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• 2006

Effects of various preservation periods and subcultures on fruiting body formation of Cordyceps militaris were investigated using EFCC C-10995 single ascospore strains. Fruiting body formation by original strains was profuse when preserved at $4^{\circ}C$ for $5{\sim}6$ months. Fruiting from subcultures was stable till second to sixth subcultures, after which it decreased sharply. The more the colony color of subcultures changed, the less the fruiting bodies formed. Liquid inoculum preparation of single ascospore strains in the same or separate broths did not affect fruiting body formation. Similarly, two strains C-10995-3 and C-10995-6 in different numbers during liquid inoculum preparation produced similar fruiting bodies.

• 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.