Cordyceps Extract Powder

• Product Detail

Product name	Cordyceps Extract
Latin Name	Cordyceps sinensis
Active ingredients	Polysaccharides
synonyms	DongChongXiaCao, winter worm summer grass, Caterpillar Fungus, Caterpillar Mushroom, Cs-4, Champignon Chenille, Chinese Caterpillar Fungus, Cordyceps sinensis,Dong Chong Zia Cao, Hsia Ts'Ao Tung Ch'Ung, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, Tochukaso, Vegetable Caterpill
Appearance	Brown yellow fine powder
Part used	Mycelium
Specification	Polysaccharides 10%-40%, Cordyceps Powder
Dosage	500mg-1500mg daily
Main benefits	Antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetes, Immune System Enhancement
Applied industries	Medicine, food additive, dietary supplement

What is Cordyceps ?

Cordyceps grow parasitically on the caterpillars of particular moths. Some species of Cordyceps are called “winter worm” (these mushrooms grow on a caterpillar, after killing it and filling it with mycelium) and “summer grass”.

Cordyceps is one of the most rare and treasured herbs, and it has been an important ingredient in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It can be found on isolated places in southwestern China, especially in the provinces of Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, Guise and Yunan, in locations over 3,500 metres.

Cordyceps, one of the better-known traditional Chinese medicines, consists of the dried fungus Cordyceps sinensis growing on the larva of the caterpillar. It is commonly used in China for the replenishment of general body health. Cordyceps has a broad range of pharmacological and biological actions on the liver, kidneys, heart, and immune system. One of the known pharmacological effects is its anti-oxidation activity. Cordyceps sinensis, a well-known and valued traditional Chinese medicine, is also called DongChongXiaCao (winter worm summer grass) in Chinese.

Chemical constituents of Cordyceps Extract

Composition Cordyceps has many bioactive components including 3'-deoxyadenosine, cordycepic acid, polysaccharides, and aurantiamides named cordyceamides A and B. The main nucleosides include thymine, adenine, adenosine and cordycepin.

Benefits of taking Cordyceps Extract supplements:

>Anti-tumor

》Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2010; Jordan JL. Department of Pathology, Atlantic Centre for Transplantation Research, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

Breast cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. Mortality is primarily due to the development of metastases. Although therapies exist, they lack efficacy in preventing metastatic growth. As a result, novel agents are being investigated. In particular, treatments that target the immune system are being examined as potential anti-neoplastic agents. Cordyceps sinensis is a fungus that has been used for over 2,000 years in China as a treatment for a variety of conditions including neoplasms. The available evidence suggests that efficacy of Cs as an anti-neoplastic therapeutic agent is related to a role as an activator of innate immune responses. The objectives of this study were: to investigate the ability of Cs to activate macrophages to produce factors that will induce protective responses against tumor growth; to study the ability of Cs to reduce primary tumor growth in vivo; and to examine the ability of Cs to reduce lung metastasis growth in vivo. We found that oral Cs does not reduce primary tumor growth but can reduce lung metastasis occurrence in a surgical excision model of metastatic mammary carcinoma. The evidence we have shown to date suggests that the reduction in metastases growth may be due to the effects of macrophage-derived factors on tumor cell cycle.

>Anti- Cancer

》Induction of apoptosis by aqueous extract of Cordyceps militaris through activation of caspases and inactivation of Akt in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells.

J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2008; Department of Biomaterial Control, Dongeui University Graduate School and Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Oriental Medicine, Busan, Korea.

Cordyceps militaris is well known as a traditional medicinal mushroom and has been shown to exhibit immunostimulatory and anticancer activities. In this study, we investigated the apoptosis induced by an aqueous extract of C. militaris (AECM) via the activation of caspases and altered mitochondrial membrane permeability in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Exposure to AECM induced apoptosis, as demonstrated by a quantitative analysis of nuclear morphological change and a flow cytometric analysis. Our results indicate that AECM-induced apoptosis may relate to the activation of caspase-3 and mitochondria dysfunctions that correlate with the inactivation of Akt.

》Study on effect of Cordyceps sinensis and artemisinin in preventing recurrence of lupus nephritis

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2002; Department of Nephrology, Second People's Hospital of Guilin, Guangxi.

To observe the effect of Cordyceps sinensis and artemisinin in preventing recurrence of lupus nephritis. Sixty-one lupus nephritis patients, who had no activities by corticosterone and cyclophosphamide impacting therapy were randomly divided into two groups. The 31 cases in the treated group were given Cordyceps powder 2-4 g/d before meal and artemisinin 0.6 g/d after meal in three portions orally taken for 3 years. The 30 patients in the control group were treated with tripterygiitotorum and/or Baoshenkang tablet. Cordyceps and artemisinin could prevent the recurrence of lupus nephritis and protect kidney function.

>Adjusting immunity

》Am J Chin Med. 2008; Zhou X, Luo L, Dressel W, Krumbiegel D. Laboratory for Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

We have reported that cordycepin, increased interleukin (IL)-10 expression, decreased IL-2 expression and suppressed T lymphocyte activity. In the present study, we further characterized the regulatory effects of cordycepin on human immune cells. Moreover, a traditional Chinese drug, Cordyceps sinensis (CS) that contains cordycepin, was also investigated. Our results led to the opinion that cordycepin and CS pleiotropically affected the actions of immune cells and cytokine network in a similar fashion. Cordycepin could be an important immunoregulatory active ingredient in Cordyceps sinensis. In addition, CS may contain substances which possess synergism with cordycepin, as CS showed a higher efficiency in the production of IL-10 and IL-2 than cordycepin. However, merits of these effects in pharmacology and clinical medicine have yet to be proven and the precise mechanism of these immune regulatory actions should be researched.

>Improve cardiovascular disease

Laboratory animals on a cholesterol-rich diet which received a hot water extract of Cordyceps sinensis, had lower total cholesterol levels than the controls. The animal study suggests that Cordyceps sinensis counteracts atherosclerosis by improving blood lipids. Various human studies have shown that the use of Cordyceps (about 3 grams per day) leads to significant reduction in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increase and improve the ratio between HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.

>Liver-protecting

》Cordyceps sinensis stimulates the liver (including assistance to detoxification processes), supports the immune system in fighting (viral) liver infections and inhibits operative changes in the liver (fibrosis, cirrhosis). The medicinal mushroom is often (complementary) used in China for the treatment of liver diseases such as hepatitis A, B and C, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. In a clinical study where a blend of medicinal mushrooms such as Cordyceps were used to measure effectiveness of the antiviral drug lamivudine in the treatment of hepatitis B, it helped significantly. In another study, liver tests improved the health of all 22 subjects with liver cirrhosis (hepatitis) after three months of 6 to 9 grams of Cordyceps ingestd daily.

>Anti-aging

An experimental study on anti-aging action of Cordyceps extract

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2004.

Aged mice were induced by D-galactose. Meanwhile, they were treated with three doses of Cordyceps extract which significantly increased the ability of learning and memory, improve the activity of SOD of red blood cells, brain and liver, the activity of CAT and GSH-Px of blood, and remarkably decreased the activity of MAO of brain and the contents of MDA of brain and liver. Cordyceps extract has good anti-aging effects on aged mice, which is probably due to effects of improving antioxidation and removing free radicals.

>Improve Neurological Symptom

Effect of dongchong xiacao capsule ( cordyceps supplement ) on airway inflammation of asthmatic patients

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2007.

To investigate the effect of dongchong xiacao capsule on the airway inflammation of asthmatic patients and to explore the relevant mechanism of therapeutic effect of Dongchong xiacao capsule. Sixty patients with moderate persistent asthma were randomized into the treatment group (n=30) and the control group (n=30). Inhaled corticosteroid and as-needed beta-agonist were used in the treatment group while this therapy plus dongchong xiacao capsule were used in the control group for two months. Cordyceps supplement can reduce the serum markers of airway inflammation, which suggests this therapy bares the anti-inflammation effects probably through regulating the balance of TH1/TH2, inhibiting the activity of adherence molecule and reducing IgE production. It may also have the effect of reversing airway remodeling, which needs further research to determine.

>Stimulate the immune system

Am J Chin Med. 2008; Zhou X, Luo L, Dressel W, Krumbiegel D. Laboratory for Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

We have reported that cordycepin, increased interleukin (IL)-10 expression, decreased IL-2 expression and suppressed T lymphocyte activity. In the present study, we further characterized the regulatory effects of cordycepin on human immune cells. Moreover, a traditional Chinese drug, Cordyceps sinensis (CS) that contains cordycepin, was also investigated. Our results led to the opinion that cordycepin and CS pleiotropically affected the actions of immune cells and cytokine network in a similar fashion. Cordycepin could be an important immunoregulatory active ingredient in Cordyceps sinensis. In addition, CS may contain substances which possess synergism with cordycepin, as CS showed a higher efficiency in the production of IL-10 and IL-2 than cordycepin. However, merits of these effects in pharmacology and clinical medicine have yet to be proven and the precise mechanism of these immune regulatory actions should be researched.

Side effects and safety of Cordyceps Extract

No major cordyceps side effects have been mentioned in the medical literature.

Dosage of Cordyceps Extract supplement:

General Advice , 500mg-1500mg a day.

There are some other Mushroom extract Polysaccharides Series available from Nutragreen biotechnology such as

Mushroomextract Polysaccharides Series	Specification
Reishi Mushroom Extract	Reishi Polysaccharides 10%-60%
Cordyceps Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-40%
Coriolus Versicolor Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-40%
Maitake Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-40%
Poria Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%
Shiitake Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-40%
Hericium erinaceus Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%
Coprinus Comatus Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%
Oyster Mushroom Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%
Chaga Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%
Polyporus umbellatus Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%
Agaricus Mushroom Extract	Polysaccharides 10%-30%