Preliminary studies show that cordyceps mushrooms may benefit health via anti-inflammatory.
Cordycepin is a key compound of the mushrooms and has been linked to potential anticancerTrusted Source effects.
Cordyceps mushrooms are typically collected in the wild and are difficult to find in large quantities. When grown in lab conditions, they are typically grown off of grains.
Methods to increase cordyceps production and reduce production costs could enable cordyceps to enter clinical trials for various conditions.
In the wild, insects are a direct sourceTrusted Source of nutrients for cordyceps. In a recent study, researchers observed cordyceps growth on six different insects.
They found that although cordyceps grew largest on mealworms and silkworm pupae, they produced the highest levels of cordycepin on rhinoceros beetles.
“The cultivation method of Cordyceps suggested in this study will enable the production of cordycepin more effectively and economically,” lead author Mi Kyeong Lee, Ph.D., of the College of Pharmacy at Chungbuk National University, South Korea, said in a news release.
“However, securing edible insects is not yet sufficient for scale-up to an industrial level. It is also thought that more efficient production may be possible through the use of other insects, which needs to be demonstrated by further study.”
Source: Medical News Today
