Vol. 10, Issue 4 (2021)

Author(s):
Sugam Bhetwal, Subrata Chatterjee, Samrat, Robin Rijal, Meenakshi Rana and Seweta Srivastava

Abstract:
This review mainly focuses on the medicinal value of the Cordyceps sinensis. Interestingly, Cordyceps spp. contains different compounds with the ability to strengthen the response of the immune system and also to control its exacerbated response. Most of the information on the effect of Cordyceps on the immune system derives from studies in cancer. Upholding immunity and strong immune system are prime concern especially during microbial infections as in the case of current COVID-19 pandemic. This is a mushroom that is only found in cohabitation with the larvae of an insect, and it is this unique growth parameter that has made it challenging to produce Cordyceps spp. in artificial cultivation. Further complicating this cultivation issue is the rarefied atmosphere, mineral-rich soil, and low temperature in which Cordyceps naturally grows, resulting in a unique profile of secondary metabolites possessing interesting biological potential for medical exploitation, but which are not readily reproduced in normal laboratory cultivation. In this article, we attempt to unravel many of the mysteries of Cordyceps spp., with special attention to C. sinensis, the world's most costly medicinal mushroom.