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The Mechanisms of Pharmacological Activities of Ophiocordyceps sinensis Fungi
Author(s) -
Xu Jin,
Huang Ying,
Chen XiangXiang,
Zheng ShuaiChao,
Chen Peng,
Mo MingHe
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.5673
Subject(s) - cordyceps , mycelium , fungus , biology , traditional medicine , botany , medicine
The entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis , formerly known as Cordyceps sinensis , has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of many illnesses. In recent years its usage has increased dramatically because of the improvement of people's living standard and the emphasis on health. Such demands have resulted in over‐harvesting of this fungus in the wild. Fortunately, scientists have demonstrated that artificially cultured and fermented mycelial products of O . sinensis have similar pharmacological activities to wild O . sinensis . The availability of laboratory cultures will likely to further expand its usage for the treatment of various illnesses. In this review, we summarize recent results on the pharmacological activities of the components of O . sinensis and their putative mechanisms of actions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.