Fermented Cordyceps Research Articles

Integrated bioinformatics and network pharmacology to explore the therapeutic target and molecular mechanisms of Bailing capsule on polycystic ovary syndrome

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder that is common in women of reproductive age. The clinical features of PCOS include hyperandrogenemia and polycystic ovarian changes. Bailing capsule (BL), a proprietary Chinese medicine that contains fermented Cordyceps sinensis powder, has been applied to treat PCOS. However, the specific active ingredients of BL and its mechanisms of action are yet to be elucidated.MethodsInitially, the effectiveness of BL on PCOS model mice was evaluated. Subsequently, the active ingredients of BL were searched in the TCMSP and TCM Systems Pharmacology databases, and their targets were predicted using Swiss Target Prediction and SEA databases. Furthermore, the GEO gene database was used to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to PCOS. Data from Gene Card, OMIM, DDT, and Drugbank databases were then combined to establish a PCOS disease gene library. Cross targets were imported into the STRING database to construct a protein–protein interaction network. In addition, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using Metascape and DAVID databases and visualized using Cytoscape software and R 4.2.3. The core targets were docked with SYBYL-X software, and their expressions in PCOS mice were further verified using qPCR.ResultsThe core active ingredients of BL were identified to be linoleyl acetate, cholesteryl palmitate, arachidonic acid, among others. Microarray data sets from four groups containing disease and normal samples were obtained from the GEO database. A total of 491 DEGs and 106 drug–disease cross genes were selected. Estrous cycle and ovarian lesions were found to be improved in PCOS model mice following BL treatment. While the levels of testosterone, progesterone, and prolactin decreased, that of estradiol increased. qPCR findings indicated that the expressions of JAK2, PPARG, PI3K, and AKT1 were upregulated, whereas those of ESR1 and IRS1 were downregulated in PCOS model mice. After the administration of BL, the expressions of associated genes were regulated. This study demonstrated that BL exerted anti-PCOS effects via PIK3CA, ESR1, AKT, PPARG, and IRS1 targets affecting PI3K-Akt signaling pathways.DiscussionThis research clarified the multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel action of BL and provided a theoretical reference for further investigations on its pharmacological basis and molecular mechanisms against PCOS.

Fermented cordyceps powder alleviates silica-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in rats by regulating the Th immune response

BackgroundSilicosis is an important occupational disease caused by inhalation of free silica and is characterized by persistent pulmonary inflammation, subsequent fibrosis and lung dysfunction. Until now, there has been no effective treatment for the disease due to the complexity of pathogenesis. Fermented cordyceps powder (FCP) has a similar effect to natural cordyceps in tonifying the lung and kidney. It has started to be used in the adjuvant treatment of silicosis. This work aimed to verify the protective effects of FCP against silicosis, and to explore the related mechanism.MethodsWistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including the saline-instilled group, the silica-exposed group, the silica + FCP (300 mg/kg) group and the silica + FCP (600 mg/kg) group. Silicosis rat models were constructed by intratracheal instillation of silica (50 mg). Rats in the FCP intervention groups received the corresponding dose of FCP daily by intragastric gavage. Rats were sacrificed on days 7, 28 and 56 after treatment, then samples were collected for further analysis.ResultsFCP intervention reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the concentration of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) at days 7, 28, 56, and decreased the expression of collagen, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) at days 28 and 56 in the lung of silicosis rats. FCP also decreased the immune response of Th1 and Th17 at days 7, 28, 56 and inhibited the enhancement of the Th2 response at day 56.ConclusionsFCP intervention could alleviate silica-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis, the protective effect may be achieved by reducing Th1 and Th17 immune responses and inhibiting the enhancement of the Th2 response.

Fermented Cordyceps Powder Attenuates Inflammation and Pulmonary Arterioles Remodeling by Inhibiting p38 MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension Rats

Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pulmonary vascular disease caused by a variety of causes and has a poor prognosis. Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is one of the types of PH. Cordyceps sinensis could treat a variety of lung diseases; its pharmacological active ingredients mainly include cordycepin, nucleosides, cordyceps polysaccharides, sterols, and amino acids. Fermented cordyceps powder (FCP) is an alternative to C. sinensis. In order to investigate the effect of FCP on HPH in rats, we established the HPH rat model. Materials and Methods Forty-two male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group, hypoxia group, hypoxia + FCP (0.1 g.kg−1.d−1), hypoxia + FCP (0.2 g.kg−1.d−1), hypoxia + FCP (0.4 g.kg−1.d−1), and hypoxia + sildenafil (30 mg.kg−1.d−1) group. Except for the control group, the other five groups of rats were fed in the hypobaric chamber. The corresponding dose was given by intragastric administration, once a day, for 28 days. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVHI) were measured; hematological parameters white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (Neu), Lymphocytes (Lym), monocytes (Mon), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), and platelets (PLT) levels were detected; serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the morphological changes of pulmonary arterioles were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and the vascular remodeling indexes, vessel wall thickness as a percentage of vascular outer diameter (WT%), vascular wall area as a percentage of total vessel area (WA%), and lumen area as a percentage of the total vascular area (LA%) were calculated; the protein expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, p-p38, p38, p-IκBα, IκBα, p-p65, and p65 were determined by western blotting. Results FCP could significantly downregulate mPAP, improve pulmonary arteriole remodeling, and reduce the serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in HPH rats. In addition, FCP downregulated the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, p-p38, p-IκBα, and p-p65. Conclusion FCP could alleviate mPAP and vascular remodeling in HPH rats. Its mechanism could be through inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and by downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors. Our study might provide a research basis for the therapeutic potential of FCP in HPH.

Protective effect of Cordyceps sinensis against diabetic kidney disease through promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of renal proximal tubular cells

BackgroundDiabetic kidney disease (DKD) has mainly been considered as a glomerular disease. Our previous study showed that the progression of DKD was highly correlated with the dysfunction of renal proximal tubular cells. Fermented Cordyceps sinensis (CS), a substitute for natural CS, is a prominent herb widely used in China, and has exhibited excellent efficacy on DKD. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.MethodsThe database analysis was used to identify the main therapeutic targets and pathways of CS involved in DKD treatment. Next, the protective effects of fermented CS on high glucose (HG, 30 mM) induced HK-2 cell injury was validated through cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, including CCK-8, EdU and TUNEL. Finally, quantitative real‑time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to verify key target genes.ResultsOur results revealed that 9 main targets (RELA, JNK1, PTEN, VEGFA, EGF, ERK2, CASP3, AKT1, MMP9) were recognized as key therapeutic targets with excellent binding affinity screened by database analysis and molecular docking. The biological processes were identified by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, which appeared mainly involved in the positive regulation of cell proliferation as well as the negative regulation of apoptosis. The verification experiments in vitro revealed that fermented CS significantly attenuated the HG-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and promoted the proliferation of HK-2 cells. Moreover, fermented CS significantly downregulated the expressions of Bax, Caspase-3, VEGFA, P-AKT and P-ERK, and upregulated the expression of PTEN compared with that of HG group.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that the fermented CS has nephroprotective effects significantly, which functions via promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of renal proximal tubular cells, likely by targeting Caspase-3, Bax, VEGFA and PTEN. Furthermore, AKT and ERK signaling pathway may be the critical mechanisms underlying the efficacy of fermented CS in DKD treatment.

Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermented Cordyceps militaris (GRC-SC11) Suppresses IgE Mediated Mast Cell Activation and Type I Hypersensitive Allergic Murine Model.

Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) has various biomedical applications in traditional oriental medicine for different diseases including inflammatory and immune-dysregulated diseases. It is a reservoir of nutritional components such as cordycepin, polysaccharides, and antioxidants. To improve its bioactivity, we fermented C. militaris with a Pediococcus pentosaceus strain isolated from a salted small octopus (SC11). The current study aimed to evaluate whether P. pentosaceus (SC11) fermentation could enhance the anti-allergic potential of C. militaris cultured on germinated Rhynchosia nulubilis (GRC) against a type I hypersensitive reaction in in vitro and in vivo studies. Total antioxidant capacity and cordycepin content were significantly increased in GRC after SC11 fermentation. GRC-SC11 showed significantly enhanced anti-allergic responses by inhibiting immunoglobulin E (IgE)/antigen-induced degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells, compared to GRC. The results demonstrated the significant inhibition of phosphorylated spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk)/ p38/GRB2-associated binding protein 2 (Gab2)/c-jun in IgE/Ag-triggered RBL-2H3 cells. Furthermore, suppressed mRNA levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in IgE/Ag-activated RBL-2H3 cells were observed. GRC-SC11 significantly ameliorated IgE-induced allergic reactions by suppressing the ear swelling, vascular permeability, and inflammatory cell infiltration in passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) BALB/c mice. In conclusion, GRC fermented with P.pentosaceus exerted enhanced anti-allergic effects, and increased the cordycepin content and antioxidants potential compared to GRC. It can be used as bio-functional food in the prevention and management of type I allergic diseases.

Fingerprint establishment and multi-indicator quantitative analysis of fermented Cordyceps powder and products

《中国药典》收载的发酵虫草菌粉产品的质量标准中,规定以鸟苷、腺苷、尿苷的含量作为评价相关产品质量的标准。但除此之外,还有许多其他的核苷类成分对发酵虫草菌粉质量控制的影响尚未被探讨。为探究发酵虫草菌粉及产品质控指标选择的合理性,采用超高效液相色谱-紫外检测法对19批发酵虫草菌粉及产品中9种核苷成分(尿嘧啶、胞苷、鸟嘌呤、尿苷、腺嘌呤、肌苷、鸟苷、胸苷、腺苷)进行了定量分析,建立了发酵虫草菌粉样品的指纹图谱,并结合统计学提供了一种分析指标性成分的方法。通过优化样品的提取方法,选择超声提取法制备19批发酵虫草菌粉及产品的供试液;采用Agilent Eclipse Plus C18色谱柱(150 mm×4.6 mm, 3.5 μm)进行色谱分析,以甲醇-水为流动相梯度洗脱,对方法的校正曲线、准确度、精密度、重复性和回收率进行了验证。结合对照品指认了指纹图谱中的9个核苷峰,并采用外标一点法测得了各核苷成分的含量。使用化学模式识别对指纹图谱中的共有峰进行分析,聚类分析和主成分分析得到了同样的分类结果:19批样品共分为5类,其中同一发酵虫草菌粉因工艺差异可分为2类,而心肝宝胶囊、百令胶囊、宁心宝胶囊则各单独分为1类。同时,使用主成分分析获得了各样品中的指标性成分,分别为尿苷、鸟苷、腺苷、腺嘌呤、尿嘧啶,并使用聚类分析再次进行确证,验证了指标性成分的合理性。

蝉花发酵菌丝体口服安全性及其降眼压效果评估

蝉花发酵菌丝体口服安全性及其降眼压效果评估

Application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis Technology to Total Nucleosides Quality Control in the Fermented Cordyceps Powder Production Process.

Product quality control is a prerequisite for ensuring safety, effectiveness, and stability. However, because of the different strain species and fermentation processes, there was a significant difference in quality. As a result, they should be clearly distinguished in clinical use. Among them, the fermentation process is critical to achieving consistent product quality. This study aims to introduce near-infrared spectroscopy analysis technology into the production process of fermented Cordyceps powder, including strain culture, strain passage, strain fermentation, strain filtration, strain drying, strain pulverizing, and strain mixing. First, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the total nucleosides content in the production process of 30 batches of fermented Cordyceps powder, including uracil, uridine, adenine, guanosine, adenosine, and the process stability and interbatch consistency were analyzed with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) fingerprinting, followed by the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) to establish a quantitative analysis model of total nucleosides for online process monitoring of fermented Cordyceps powder preparation products. The model parameters indicate that the established model with good robustness and high measurement precision. It further clarifies that the model can be used for online process monitoring of fermented Cordyceps powder preparation products.

Quality control method of sterols in fermented Cordyceps sinensis based on combined fingerprint and quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker.

In this study, we established a new pattern for differentiating and comprehensively evaluating the quality of fermented Cordyceps sinensis based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint analysis combined with similar analysis (SA), principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS). These methods indicated that fermented Cordyceps sinensis samples could be categorized into one class by PCA and HCA. The fingerprints of fermented Cordyceps sinensis were established, and four HPLC peaks were identified as ergosterol, daucosterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol in Jinshuibao capsules and tablets (two products of fermented Cordyceps sinensis). Ergosterol was chosen as the internal reference substance, and the relative correction factors (RCFs) between ergosterol and the other three sterols were calculated using the QAMS method. Moreover, the accuracy of the QAMS method was confirmed by comparing the relative error between the results of the method used with those of an external standard method (ESM). No significant difference between the two methods was observed. The total sterols content in Jinshuibao products were calculated by the QAMS method, and the total sterols content of the two products were similar. This study showed that the method established herein was efficient and successful in the identification fermented Cordyceps sinensis and may further act to facilitate systematic quality control of fermented Cordyceps sinensis products.

A novel combination of enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation: Effects on the flavor and nutritional quality of fermented Cordyceps militaris beverage

This study evaluated the effects of enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation on the flavor and nutritional quality of fermented Cordyceps militaris beverage. Enzymatic hydrolysis can produce more reducing sugars and provide an appropriate fermentation substrate for the growth of bacteria. Electronic nose (e-nose) analysis indicated that first enzymatic hydrolysis and then two-step fermentation could significantly increase the volatile flavor component response values of the fermented beverage. Moreover, electronic tongue (e-tongue) analysis indicated that the fermentation process can increase the sourness and decrease the bitterness of the beverage, resulting in attaining a better taste. Based on the research undertaken on nutritional quality of this fermentation beverage, it was found that a combination of cellulase and pectinase with the ratio of 2:3 yielded higher cordycepin content. After fermentation, the retention rate of cordycepin was also high (98.02%). Fermented beverage pretreated with complex enzymes had a stronger antioxidant capacity compared with non-enzymatic group, which was indicated by the hydroxyl radical scavenging rate and reducing power determination. This fermented C. militaris beverage is expected to help to develop a functional beverage and further research can be carried out on the shelf-life of this beverage.

Fermented Cordyceps militaris Extract Prevents Hepatosteatosis and Adipocyte Hypertrophy in High Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) is characterized by accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. The objective of this study was to evaluate protective effects of fermented Cordyceps militaris extract by Pediococcus pentosaceus ON188 (ONE) against hepatosteatosis and obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD mixed with ONE for four weeks and its effects on hepatosteatosis and obesity were examined. Although ONE did not change food intake, it reduced body weights of mice at administration dose of 200 mg/kg/day. Activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) as plasma parameters were reduced by ONE in a dose-dependent manner. Hepatic lipid droplets and triglyceride (TG) levels were also reduced by ONE due to upregulation of fatty acid oxidizing genes such as carnithine palmitoyltransferase (CPT1) and peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor α(PPARα) mediated by induction of sphingosine kinase 2 (SPHK2). In epididymal fat tissue, sizes of adipocytes were significantly reduced by ONE in a dose-dependent manner. This is mainly due to suppression of lipogenesis and upregulation of adipocyte browning genes. Collectively, these results suggest that fermented ONE can activate fatty acid oxidation via SPHK2 in the liver. It can also suppress lipogenesis and activate browning in adipose tissue. Thus, ONE might have potential to be used for the development of functional foods against liver dysfunction and obesity.

Improving hygroscopicity of fermented Cordyceps powder based on particle design technology of traditional Chinese medicine

Commonly used dosage forms of fermented Cordyceps powder products are capsules and tablets. The hygroscopicity of the powder,as one of the important parameters in the tableting process,has important effects on the tabletting process of the tablets. How to improve the hygroscopicity of powder is of great significance for the development of new composite particles. Therefore,particle design technology was used in this study to prepare composite particle powder,and its hygroscopicity was compared with fermented Cordyceps powder and physically mixed powder. By preparing three different types of powders,the equilibrium moisture absorption,particle size,scanning electron micrograph,angle of repose,contact angle and compression degree were compared to observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine particle design technology on improving the hygroscopicity of the fermented Cordyceps powder. The results showed that the equilibrium moisture absorption was 21. 2%,19. 6%,14. 5% respectively for the fermented Cordyceps powder,physically mixed powder and composite particle powder; the median diameter was(49. 751± 0. 280),(59. 183± 0. 170),(12. 842±0. 080) μm,respectively; the mode diameter was(185. 479±1. 372),(173. 964± 1. 104),(61. 671± 0. 979) μm,respectively. In the scanning electron micrograph of the composite particle powder,it can be clearly seen that the fermented Cordyceps powder had hydrophobic gas phase nano-silica with a fixed shape and uniform size. The angle of repose was(50. 63 ± 0. 75) °,(49. 25 ± 0. 43) °,(48. 33±0. 84) ° respectively; the contact angle was(7. 4±0. 2) °,(8. 2±0. 3) °,(15. 0±2. 6) ° respectively; and the compression degree was(38. 2±1. 3) %,(35. 8±0. 2) %,(32. 5±2. 6) % respectively. This study showed that after treatment by the vibrating ultrafine pulverizer,the fermented Cordyceps powder particles had obvious and uniform small particle hydrophobic gas phase nano-silica adhered to form a partially wrapped coating structure,which reduced the contact surface of fermented Cordyceps powder with the outside world,thereby reducing the hygroscopicity of the composite particle powder. It further demonstrated that the hygroscopicity of fermented Cordyceps powder can be improved by particle design.

Fermented Cordyceps militaris Extract Ameliorates Hepatosteatosis via Activation of Fatty Acid Oxidation.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a progressive disease involving the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. In this study, we investigated the anti-hepatosteatosis effects of fermented Cordyceps militaris extract (CME) in AML-12 hepatocytes. Although the levels of adenosine and cordycepin were reduced in the extracts of CM grown on germinated soybean (GSCE) and fermented CM grown on germinated soybean (GSC) by Pediococcus pentosaceus ON188 (ON188E), the expression of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) genes were upregulated only by GSC-ON188E treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, a lipogenic gene, stearoyl Coenzyme A desaturase 1, was downregulated by ON188E. Formation of intracellular lipid droplets by the addition of oleic acid was reduced by ON188E to levels observed in WY14643-treated cells. When cells were treated with ON188E, sphingosine kinase 2 mainly responsible for hepatic sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) synthesis was upregulated and S1P was elevated. Collectively, the fermented GSC extract activates FAO through elevation of S1P synthesis and has potential as a therapeutic for hepatosteatosis.

Comparison and review on specifications of fermented Cordyceps sinensis products

There are five kinds of fermented Cordyceps crude drug and their preparations that have been approved as medicine on the market. Since the initial strains of the crude drug were all isolated from natural Cordyceps sinensis， they have similar names， chemical components and even clinical applications. However， because of the different strain species and fermentation processes， there was significant difference in quality. As a result， they should be clearly distinguished in clinical use. Most of the products were researched and developed during the 1980s and 1990s， so there was difference in quality standards for different products， and their quality control levels of some products were not perfect. At present， some of the products are approved as Chinese medicine， others are approved as chemical drugs， with a confusion in products name， management and clinical application. In this paper， the approval numbers， quality standards and clinical applications， and current problems of these products were summarized and compared; some suggestions were put forward， such as standardizing the product name， unifying the management of approval number category， and increasing the specific quality control attributes， in order to provide reference for standard implementation， quality control and drug regulation for fermented Cordyceps crude drugs and their preparations.

Analysis of the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprints and Quantitative Analysis of Multicomponents by Single Marker of Products of Fermented Cordyceps sinensis.

Fermented Cordyceps sinensis, the succedaneum of Cordyceps sinensis which is extracted and separated from Cordyceps sinensis by artificial fermentation, is commonly used in eastern Asia in clinical treatments due to its health benefit. In this paper, a new strategy for differentiating and comprehensively evaluating the quality of products of fermented Cordyceps sinensis has been established, based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint analysis combined with similar analysis (SA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS). Ten common peaks were collected and analysed using SA, HCA, and QAMS. These methods indicated that 30 fermented Cordyceps sinensis samples could be categorized into two groups by HCA. Five peaks were identified as uracil, uridine, adenine, guanosine, and adenosine, and according to the results from the diode array detector, which can be used to confirm peak purity, the purities of these compounds were greater than 990. Adenosine was chosen as the internal reference substance. The relative correction factors (RCF) between adenosine and the other four nucleosides were calculated and investigated using the QAMS method. Meanwhile, the accuracy of the QAMS method was confirmed by comparing the results of that method with those of an external standard method with cosines of the angles between the groups. No significant difference between the two methods was observed. In conclusion, the method established herein was efficient, successful in identifying the products of fermented Cordyceps sinensis, and scientifically valid to be applicable in the systematic quality control of fermented Cordyceps sinensis products.

Alleviation of doxorubicin-induced hepatic toxicity with fermented Cordyceps sinensis via regulating hepatic energy metabolism in rats

Pharmacognosy Magazine,2018,14,56,283-289.DOI:10.4103/pm.pm_354_17Published:August 2018Type:Original ArticleAuthors:Ping-An Yao, Rong Wu, Yao-Li Zhang, Xiao-Hua Cui, Ke-Zhao Wei, Xu Xu, and Jian-Ping Gao Author(s) affiliations:Ping-An Yao1, Rong Wu1, Yao-Li Zhang2, Xiao-Hua Cui1, Ke-Zhao Wei1, Xu Xu2, Jian-Ping Gao1 1 Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China 2 Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China Abstract:Background: Cordyceps sinensis (CS), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has many pharmacological effects. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a spectrum antitumor drug, but it has toxicity to multiple organs. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fermented CS on regulating hepatic energy metabolism against DOX-treated hepatic toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups and administrated orally for 23 days as follows: normal control group, CS (1.50 g/kg/d) control group, DOX control group, and DOX + CS (0.75 g/kg/d, 1.5 g/kg/d, 3.00 g/kg/d) groups. Rats in DOX-treated groups were intraperitoneally injected with DOX at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg at every 48 h, and repeated for six times. At the end of the experiment, the mortality and liver index, blood biomarkers about the hepatic injury, hepatic histopathological changes, hepatic energy metabolism, and hepatic cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) were measured. Results: DOX-induced a higher mortality, the damage of the liver manifests itself in the increase of liver weight index and the activity of serum aspartate aminotransferase, the decrease of serum contents of total protein and albumin, and histopathological changes, and the disorders of energy metabolism including the decrease of phosphocreatine, adenosine-triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, AMP, and total adenine nucleotides in hepatic tissues. Fermented CS not only could attenuate those changes but also could increase the content of hepatic cAMP. Conclusion: DOX induces hepatic injury accompanying hepatic energy metabolism disorders. Fermented CS regulates the disorders of hepatic energy metabolism, thereby attenuating liver injury caused by DOX. Keywords:Cordyceps sinensis, Cyclic adenosine monophosphate, doxorubicin, Energy metabolism, hepatic injuryView:PDF (2.07 MB)

Using FT-NIR spectroscopy technique to determine arginine content in fermented Cordyceps sinensis mycelium

This research investigated the feasibility of using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectral technique for determining arginine content in fermented Cordyceps sinensis (C. sinensis) mycelium. Three different models were carried out to predict the arginine content. Wavenumber selection methods such as competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and successive projections algorithm (SPA) were used to identify the most important wavenumbers and reduce the high dimensionality of the raw spectral data. Only a few wavenumbers were selected by CARS and CARS–SPA as the optimal wavenumbers, respectively. Among the prediction models, CARS–least squares-support vector machine (CARS–LS-SVM) model performed best with the highest values of the coefficient of determination of prediction (Rp2=0.8370) and residual predictive deviation (RPD=2.4741), the lowest value of root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP=0.0841). Moreover, the number of the input variables was forty-five, which only accounts for 2.04% of that of the full wavenumbers. The results showed that FT-NIR spectral technique has the potential to be an objective and non-destructive method to detect arginine content in fermented C. sinensis mycelium.

발효 동충하초의 유용성분 및 생리 활성 작용

The comparative effects of the fibrinolytic action, antioxidative activity, and tyrosinase inhibition of Cordyceps militaris powder and fermented Cordyceps militaris powders were investigated using several microscopic organisms. The nutritional components such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and minerals were also measured. The total phenolic compounds and flavonoid concentrations were highest in the Cordyceps militaris powder fermented by Aspergillus oryzae. Major minerals were K, Ca, Mg, and Zn. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (native-PAGE) analysis of the total protein patterns of Cordyceps militaris powder and fermented Cordyceps militaris powders revealed slight varietal differences. Fibrinolytic activity was highest in the Cordyceps militaris powder fermented by Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus kawachii. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was slightly stronger in the powder fermented by Monascus purpureus; however, these samples all exhibited a relatively low activity when compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Tyrosinase inhibition activity was stronger in the powder fermented by Aspergillus oryzae than in unfermented powder. These results may provide basic data for understanding the biological activities and chemical characteristics of Cordyceps militaris powder fermented by several microscopic organisms for the development of functional foods.

Effects of fermented Cordyceps sinensis on oxidative stress in doxorubicin treated rats.

Background:Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is one of the rare traditional Chinese herbs, only a very limited amount of natural CS is produced. Fermented CS, as a substitute for natural CS, is widely used in the field of supplementary medical treatment and health products. Its antagonistic effect on oxidative stress (OS) in vivo has not been investigated.Objective:Our aim was to investigate the antagonistic effect of fermented CS on OS in doxorubicin (DOX) treated rats and to compare the anti-OS effects in heart and liver tissues.Materials and Methods:OS rats were induced by tail-intravenous injection of DOX (total of 7.5 mg/kg), and then administered intragastrically with fermented CS (1.5 g/kg) for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, heart, liver and serum samples were taken for and biochemical analyses.Results:Fermented CS significantly increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase and the scavenging activity of O2− in serum, and the total superoxide dismutase activity in cardiac tissue; reduced the malondialdehyde content in liver and cardiac tissues.Conclusion:Fermented CS can inhibit DOX-induced OS reactions, and the anti-OS effects have high selectivity to heart and liver, especially to heart. Thus, fermented CS may be a candidate used for the prevention against various cardiac diseases induced by OS.

Impact of directly compressed auxiliary materials on powder property of fermented Cordyceps powder

To investigate such physical indexes as hygroscopicity, angle of repose, bulk density, fillibility of compression of mixed powder of directly compressed auxiliary materials and fermented cordyceps powder by using micromeritic study methods. The results showed that spray-dried lactose Flowlac100 and microcrystalline cellulose Avicel PH102 had better effect in liquidity and compressibility on fermented cordyceps powder than pregelatinized starch. The study on the impact of directly compressed auxiliary materials on the powder property of fermented cordyceps powder had guiding significant to the research of fermented cordyceps powder tablets, and could provide basis for the development of fermented cordyceps powder tablets.