Abstract
In recent decades, interest in the Cordyceps genus has amplified due to its immunostimulatory potential. Cordyceps species, its extracts, and bioactive constituents have been related with cytokine production such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, phagocytosis stimulation of immune cells, nitric oxide production by increasing inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, and stimulation of inflammatory response via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Other pharmacological activities like antioxidant, anti-cancer, antihyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, vasorelaxation, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, and kidney protection, has been reported in pre-clinical studies. These biological activities are correlated with the bioactive compounds present in Cordyceps including nucleosides, sterols, flavonoids, cyclic peptides, phenolic, bioxanthracenes, polyketides, and alkaloids, being the cyclic peptides compounds the most studied. An organized review of the existing literature was executed by surveying several databanks like PubMed, Scopus, etc. using keywords like Cordyceps, cordycepin, immune system, immunostimulation, immunomodulatory, pharmacology, anti-cancer, anti-viral, clinical trials, ethnomedicine, pharmacology, phytochemical analysis, and different species names. This review collects and analyzes state-of-the-art about the properties of Cordyceps species along with ethnopharmacological properties, application in food, chemical compounds, extraction of bioactive compounds, and various pharmacological properties with a special focus on the stimulatory properties of immunity.
Highlights
The fungus Cordyceps spp. belongs to Tibetan medicine and consumers describe it as an important source of energy
Cordyceps spp. genus compromises a plethora of compounds and some of them showed therapeutic and pharmacological activities in preclinical studies, in vitro, and in vivo
Cordycepin and cordycepic acid (CA) are important Cordyceps spp. bioactive constituents with important therapeutic applications associated with other compounds such as nucleotides, polysaccharides, cyclic peptides, sterols, and fatty acids are present in this genus and have shown a wide range of biological activities
Summary
The fungus Cordyceps spp. belongs to Tibetan medicine and consumers describe it as an important source of energy. The different species of Cordyceps have beneficial properties such as anti-cancer, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic, antimetastasis, apoptosis induction, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fibrotic, anti-arteriosclerosis, anti-hypertensive, antithrombotic, antimalarial, antifungal, hypolipidemic, antidiabetic, hypoglycemic, anti-asthmatic, steroidogenesis, spermatogenic, anti-aging, and immunomodulatory effects (Liu Y et al, 2015) These properties are concentration-dependent, and in most cases, no adverse effects were reported, the evaluation of isolated compounds such as cordycepin is preferred. Cordyceps spp. increases the production of interleukin (IL)1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, induces phagocytosis of macrophages, mononuclear cells, nitric oxide (NO) release, and stimulates the inflammatory response via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) route (Lee et al, 2006; Wang M et al, 2012) It presents synergism with interferon (INF)-γ in the production of cytokines. This review collects and analyzes the state-of-theart about properties of Cordyceps spp. focused on the stimulatory properties of immunity
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