Cordyceps, Caterpillar Fungus, Dong Chong Xia Cao 冬虫夏草

Dong Chong Xia Cao (‘Winter Worm, Summer Herb’, TCM)
dByar rtswa dgun ‘bu  དབྱར་རྩྭ་དགུན་འབུ་ (Tibet)
Dried Cordyceps as available on the Chinese market.
(Photo by Rafti Institute) (Wikimedia)

Left: uncleaned and cleansed fresh Cordyceps; Right: bunches of graded Cordyceps as sold on the Chinese Market.

---

See also

More Photos of Cordyceps

---

Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION

---

Entomological name:

Cordyceps sinensis (syn. Ophiocordyceps sinensis)
C. militaris and others have been used similarly.

Parts used:

Dried worm with Cordyceps

Temperature & Taste:

Warm, moist. Sweet

Classification:

N. Yang Tonic

Uses:

1. Warms and Strengthen the Kidneys, Tonifies Yang:
-Impotence, Spermatorrhea

2. Strengthens the Lungs, Stops Cough and Wheezing:
-Chronic Cough and Wheezing from deficiency

Dose:

… available in PRO version

Substitutes:

… available in PRO version

Main Combinations:

1. Kidney weakness with Impotence and chronic Lower Back Pain:
i. Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
ii. Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
iii. Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
iv. Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
2. Weakened resistance to colds and flu, spontaneous sweating:
i. Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
ii. cook Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
3. Night Cough, Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
4. Chronic Cough, Asthma from Lung and Kidney deficiency:
i. Yin Deficiency, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
ii, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
iii. Kidney and Lung deficiency, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
5. Acute Lung Injury:
i. Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
ii. Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
6. Lung Cancer:
i. Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
ii. Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
7. Cancer, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
8. Sweating from weakness, Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
9. Lower Back Pain from Chronic Kidney weakness, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
10. Liver Fibrosis, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
11. Tinnitus, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version
12. Altitude sickness;
i. Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
ii. Cordyceps with … available in PRO version
13. To enhance athletic performance, Cordyceps, … available in PRO version

Cautions:

Very Safe. Although high arsenic levels have been found in wild Cordyceps (see below)
1. Not used for acute conditions (exterior pathogens).
2. Note below that research demonstrated Cordyceps to promote growth of Prostate Cancer cells. This was isolated cell tests and therefore did not represent the complete effect such as enhancement of immunity and other anti-cancer effects.

Toxicity:

–Drug-induced, mixed-type hepatitis following ingestion of Cordyceps sinensis.
–Arsenic Content, Speciation, and Distribution in Wild Cordyceps sinensis.
–Arsenic Species in Cordyceps sinensis and Its Potential Health Risks.

Main Preparations used:

---

• Extra Info
  
• Research

GENERAL / REVIEW –The genus Cordyceps: An extensive review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. –Comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genomes of four cordyceps fungi. –Cordyceps militaris as a Bio Functional Food Source: Pharmacological Potential, Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Related Molecular Mechanisms. –Comparison of chemical profiles, antioxidation, inhibition of skin extracellular matrix degradation, and anti-tyrosinase activity between mycelium and fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris and Isaria tenuipes. –Cordyceps militaris: An Overview of Its Chemical Constituents in Relation to Biological Activity. –Physicochemical, functional and structural properties of the major protein fractions extracted from Cordyceps militaris fruit body. –Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials. –Bioactive Metabolites and Potential Mycotoxins Produced by Cordyceps Fungi: A Review of Safety. –Cordycepin for Health and Wellbeing: A Potent Bioactive Metabolite of an Entomopathogenic Cordyceps Medicinal Fungus and Its Nutraceutical and Therapeutic Potential. –Advance in Cordyceps militaris (Linn) Link polysaccharides: Isolation, structure, and bioactivities: A review. –An Evaluation of Common Cordyceps (Ascomycetes) Species Found in Chinese Markets. –Metabolomic comparison between wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis and artificial cultured Cordyceps militaris. CORDYCEPS CICADAE AS A SUBSTITUTE –Can Cordyceps cicadae be used as an alternative to Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps sinensis? – A review. –Biological characteristics, bioactive components and antineoplastic properties of sporoderm-broken spores from wild Cordyceps cicadae. ANTI-BACTERIAL –Efficacy of Cordyceps militaris Extracts against Some Skin Pathogenic Bacteria and Antioxidant Activity. ANTI-VIRAL –Novel Fatty Acid in Cordyceps Suppresses Influenza A (H1N1) Virus-Induced Proinflammatory Response Through Regulating Innate Signaling Pathways. COVID –Cordycepin: a bioactive metabolite of Cordyceps militaris and polyadenylation inhibitor with therapeutic potential against COVID-19. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY –Cordyceps militaris as a Bio Functional Food Source: Pharmacological Potential, Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Related Molecular Mechanisms. –Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Cordyceps sinensis Mycelium Culture Extract (Cs-4) on Rodent Models of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma. –Anti-inflammation activity of exopolysaccharides produced by a medicinal fungus Cordyceps sinensis Cs-HK1 in cell and animal models. –Anti-inflammation activity of exopolysaccharides produced by a medicinal fungus Cordyceps sinensis Cs-HK1 in cell and animal models. ANTIOXIDANT –Antioxidant and Immunostimulatory Activities of a Submerged Culture of Cordyceps sinensis Using Spent Coffee. –Structure analysis and antioxidant activity of polysaccharide-iron (III) from Cordyceps militaris mycelia. –Antioxidant and anti-aging activities of polysaccharides from Cordyceps cicadae. –Protective effect of Cordyceps militaris against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in vitro. ALLERGIC RHINITIS –Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Cordyceps sinensis Mycelium Culture Extract (Cs-4) on Rodent Models of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma. ASTHMA –Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Cordyceps sinensis Mycelium Culture Extract (Cs-4) on Rodent Models of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma. –Cordyceps polysaccharide ameliorates airway inflammation in an ovalbumin-induced mouse model of asthma via TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE / COPD –Chronic Lung Disease and COPD have shown improvement. –Cordyceps sinensis inhibits airway remodeling in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. LUNG PROTECTIVE –Protective effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice. HYPOXIA –Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extracts of Cordyceps sinensis: Chromatography-based Metabolite Profiling and Protective Efficacy Against Hypobaric Hypoxia. –Discovery of the signal pathways and major bioactive compounds responsible for the anti-hypoxia effect of Chinese cordyceps. HEPATOPROTECTIVE –Hepato-protective: inhibits hepatic fibrosis, restores liver function after damage including alcohol-induced Liver damage. (C. sinesis and C. miliaris) –Using Cordyceps militaris extracellular polysaccharides to prevent Pb2+-induced liver and kidney toxicity by activating Nrf2 signals and modulating gut microbiota. –Combinatorial usage of fungal polysaccharides from Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma atrum ameliorate drug-induced liver injury in mice. ACUTE LIVER FAILURE –Evaluation of the mechanism of cordyceps polysaccharide action on rat acute liver failure. ATHEROSCLEROSIS –The polysaccharide-peptide complex from mushroom Cordyceps militaris ameliorates atherosclerosis by modulating the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis. –The Cordyceps militaris-Derived Polysaccharide CM1 Alleviates Atherosclerosis in LDLR(-/-) Mice by Improving Hyperlipidemia. –Integrated bioinformatics analysis of the anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms of the polysaccharide CM1 from Cordyceps militaris. –Purification, characterization and anti-atherosclerotic effects of the polysaccharides from the fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris. IMMUNOMODULATORY –Cordyceps militaris Immunomodulatory Protein Promotes the Phagocytic Ability of Macrophages through the TLR4-NF-κB Pathway. –Isolation and immune activity of a new acidic Cordyceps militaris exopolysaccharide. –Antioxidant and Immunostimulatory Activities of a Submerged Culture of Cordyceps sinensis Using Spent Coffee. –Cordyceps polysaccharide marker CCP modulates immune responses via highly selective TLR4/MyD88/p38 axis. –Cordyceps sinensis aqueous extract regulates the adaptive immunity of mice subjected to 60 Co γ irradiation. –Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials. –Trends in the Immunomodulatory Effects of Cordyceps militaris: Total Extracts, Polysaccharides and Cordycepin. –Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Effects of Polysaccharides from the Parasitic Fungus Cordyceps kyushuensis. –Structural characterization, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of a neutral polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris cultivated on hull-less barley. –Structural characterization and immune-enhancing activity of a novel high-molecular-weight polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris. –Immunomodulatory effects of a mycelium extract of Cordyceps (Paecilomyces hepiali; CBG-CS-2): a randomized and double-blind clinical trial. –Cordyceps sinensis promotes immune regulation and enhances bacteriostatic activity of PA-824 via IL-10 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis disease. ANTOIMMUNE DISEASE –Effect of Cordyceps sinensis on the Treatment of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study on Mice Model. NEUROPROTECTIVE –Neuroprotective Effects of Cordyceps cicadae (Ascomycetes) Mycelium Extract in the Rat Model of Optic Nerve Crush. –Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes), Protects Aβ1-42-Induced Neurologic Damage in C6 Glial Cells. –The protective effect of cordyceps sinensis extract on cerebral ischemic injury via modulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. –Neuroprotective and therapeutic effect of Cordyceps militaris on ischemia-induced neuronal death and cognitive impairments. –Neuroprotective Effects of Butanol Fraction of Cordyceps cicadae on Glutamate-Induced Damage in PC12 Cells Involving Oxidative Toxicity. DEPRESSION –Exploring the mechanisms of action of Cordyceps sinensis for the treatment of depression using network pharmacology and molecular docking. –Antidepressant-like effects of water extract of Cordyceps militaris (Linn.) Link by modulation of ROCK2/PTEN/Akt signaling in an unpredictable chronic mild stress-induced animal model. INSOMNIA –Efficacy and Safety of Cordyceps militaris as an Adjuvant to Duloxetine in the Treatment of Insomnia in Patients With Depression: A 6-Week Double- Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE –Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycota), Attenuates Aβ1-42-Induced Amyloidogenesis and Inflammatory Response by Suppressing Amyloid Precursor Protein Progression and p38 MAPK/JNK Activation. –Protective role of Cordyceps militaris in Aβ1-42-induced Alzheimer’s disease in vivo. COGNITIVE DECLINE –Neuroprotective and therapeutic effect of Cordyceps militaris on ischemia-induced neuronal death and cognitive impairments. –Improvement of Learning and Memory Induced by Cordyceps Polypeptide Treatment and the Underlying Mechanism. ANTI-AGEING –Metabolites and novel compounds with anti-microbial or antiaging activities from Cordyceps fumosorosea. –Antioxidant and anti-aging activities of polysaccharides from Cordyceps cicadae. VISION DETERIORATION –Protective Effect of a Water-Soluble Carotenoid-Rich Extract of Cordyceps militaris against Light-Evoked Functional Vision Deterioration in Mice. ENHANCES ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE / ENDURANCE –Beneficial Effect of Cordyceps militaris on Exercise Performance via Promoting Cellular Energy Production. –Rhodiola/Cordyceps-Based Herbal Supplement Promotes Endurance Training-Improved Body Composition But Not Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Biomarkers: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Study. ENHANCES GROWTH –Effect of Spent Mushroom (Cordyceps militaris) on Growth Performance, Immunity, and Intestinal Microflora in Weaning Pigs. IMPROVES MALE SEXUAL PERFORMANCE –Improves Male Sexual function, increases Male hormones. (C. sinesis and C. miliaris) –A study of the aphrodisiac properties of Cordyceps militaris in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. –Functional study of Cordyceps sinensis and cordycepin in male reproduction: A review.

TESTICULAR PROTECTIVE –Cordycepin from Medicinal Fungi Cordyceps militaris Mitigates Inflammaging-Associated Testicular Damage via Regulating NF-κB/MAPKs Signaling in Naturally Aged Rats. –Cordycepin, a major bioactive component of Cordyceps militaris, ameliorates diabetes-induced testicular damage through the Sirt1/Foxo3a pathway. –Protective Effects of Nucleosides-Rich Extract from Cordyceps cicadae against Cisplatin Induced Testicular Damage. –Cordycepin, an Active Constituent of Nutrient Powerhouse and Potential Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris Linn., Ameliorates Age-Related Testicular Dysfunction in Rats. BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERTROPHY –Cordyceps militaris Fruit Body Extract Decreases Testosterone Catabolism and Testosterone-Stimulated Prostate Hypertrophy. PROMOTES FERTILITY –Promotes Male and Female Fertility –[Cordyceps sinensis combined with Jujing Pills for male infertility]. Yang ZX, Chen Y, Xue JG, Huang XF, Chang FJ. EFFECT ON GUT MICROBIOME –Cordyceps militaris Modulates Intestinal Barrier Function and Gut Microbiota in a Pig Model. –A polysaccharide from natural Cordyceps sinensis regulates the intestinal immunity and gut microbiota in mice with cyclophosphamide-induced intestinal injury. –Using Cordyceps militaris extracellular polysaccharides to prevent Pb2+-induced liver and kidney toxicity by activating Nrf2 signals and modulating gut microbiota. OBESITY –System-level investigation of anti-obesity effects and the potential pathways of Cordyceps militaris in ovariectomized rats. –Cordyceps Improves Obesity and its Related Inflammation via Modulation of Enterococcus cecorum Abundance and Bile Acid Metabolism. NEPHROPROTECTIVE –Nephro-protective: improves Kidney function in chronic renal failure, speeds recovery after gentamycin-induced Kidney damage. –Using Cordyceps militaris extracellular polysaccharides to prevent Pb2+-induced liver and kidney toxicity by activating Nrf2 signals and modulating gut microbiota. –Cordyceps sinensis prevents contrast-induced nephropathy in diabetic rats: its underlying mechanism. CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE –Improvement in the Blood Urea Nitrogen and Serum Creatinine Using New Cultivation of Cordyceps militaris. –Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. –Cordyceps militaris Improves Chronic Kidney Disease by Affecting TLR4/NF-κB Redox Signaling Pathway. –Potential therapeutic effects of Cordyceps cicadae and Paecilomyces cicadae on adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats and their phytochemical analysis. METABOLIC DISEASE –The potential application of Cordyceps in metabolic-related disorders. DIABETES –Diabetes: lowers blood sugar, promotes release of insulin, increase cell sensitivity to Insulin. (C. sinesis and C. miliaris) –Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis and its Extracts in the Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Review. –Polysaccharides Obtained from Cordyceps militaris Alleviate Hyperglycemia by Regulating Gut Microbiota in Mice Fed a High-Fat/Sucrose Diet. –Structure and hypoglycemic activity of a novel exopolysaccharide of Cordyceps militaris. –Glucose-lowering and hypolipidemic activities of polysaccharides from Cordyceps taii in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. –Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Effects of Acidic-Extractable Polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris on Type 2 Diabetes Mice. –1H NMR-based metabonomics of the hypoglycemic effect of polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in mice. –Evaluation of the Anti-Diabetic Activity of Polysaccharide from Cordyceps cicadae in Experimental Diabetic Rats. DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY –Based on Network Pharmacology Tools to Investigate the Molecular Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis on the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy. –Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides exerted protective effects on diabetic nephropathy in mice via regulation of autophagy. FIBRINOLYTIC –Gene cloning, expression and homology modeling of first fibrinolytic enzyme from mushroom (Cordyceps militaris). CANCER –Anti-Cancer: against various cell lines including oral, colon, bladder, leukemia, melanoma, breast and prostate. (Medicinal Mushrooms A Clinical Guide – 2nd Ed., Powell, 2014) –Cordyceps extract was found more effective than Ping Xiao Capsules in mid-to-advanced stages of various cancers. –Cordyceps militaris extract induces apoptosis and pyroptosis via caspase-3/PARP/GSDME pathways in A549 cell line. –Low Dose of Fluoride in the Culture Medium of Cordyceps militaris Promotes Its Growth and Enhances Bioactives with Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties. –Large-scale isolation and antitumor mechanism evaluation of compounds from the traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps Militaris. –1H-NMR-Based Metabolic Profiling of Cordyceps militaris to Correlate the Development Process and Anti-Cancer Effect. –The effect of fermentation conditions on the structure and anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides from Cordyceps gunnii. –Comparison of Chemical Compositions, Bioactive Ingredients, and In Vitro Antitumor Activity of Four Products of Cordyceps (Ascomycetes) Strains from China. –Effects of Different Temperatures on the Chemical Structure and Antitumor Activities of Polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris. –Comparisons of the anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides from fermented mycelia and cultivated fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris in vitro. –Anti-tumor and anti-metastatic roles of cordycepin, one bioactive compound of Cordyceps militaris. –A novel protein from edible fungi Cordyceps militaris that induces apoptosis. –Biological characteristics, bioactive components and antineoplastic properties of sporoderm-broken spores from wild Cordyceps cicadae. BREAST –Cordyceps militaris Induces Immunogenic Cell Death and Enhances Antitumor Immunogenic Response in Breast Cancer. –Extracts of Cordyceps sinensis inhibit breast cancer growth through promoting M1 macrophage polarization via NF-κB pathway activation. –Radical Scavenging and Antiproliferative Effects of Cordycepin-Rich Ethanol Extract from Brown Rice-Cultivated Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) Mycelium on Breast Cancer Cell Lines. COLORECTAL –Virtual Screening for Biomimetic Anti-Cancer Peptides from Cordyceps militaris Putative Pepsinized Peptidome and Validation on Colon Cancer Cell Line. –Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide inhibits colon cancer cells growth by inducing apoptosis and autophagy flux blockage via mTOR signaling. GASTRIC –Ethanolic extract of Cordyceps cicadae exerts antitumor effect on human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and endoplasmic reticulum stress. LEUKEMIA –Antileukaemic Cell Proliferation and Cytotoxic Activity of Edible Golden Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) Extracts. –[Effects of cultivated Cordyceps sinensis on proliferation and apoptosis of human leukemia K562 cells]. –Anticancer Efficacy of Cordyceps militaris Ethanol Extract in a Xenografted Leukemia Model. LUNG –Cordyceps acid alleviates lung cancer in nude mice. –Cordyceps militaris Exerts Anticancer Effect on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Inhibiting Hedgehog Signaling via Suppression of TCTN3. –The Extract of Cordyceps Militaris Inhibited the Proliferation of Cisplatin-Resistant A549 Lung Cancer Cells by Downregulation of H-Ras. –Cordyceps militaris fraction inhibits the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer cells through the protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase 3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. ORAL –Cordycepin and a preparation from Cordyceps militaris inhibit malignant transformation and proliferation by decreasing EGFR and IL-17RA signaling in a murine oral cancer model. Cordyceps militaris Fraction induces apoptosis and G2/M Arrest via c-Jun N-Terminal kinase signaling pathway in oral squamous carcinoma KB Cells. OVARIAN –Cordyceps militaris induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells through TNF-α/TNFR1-mediated inhibition of NF-κB phosphorylation. PROSTATE –Cordyceps sinensis Promotes the Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells. SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA –Cordyceps militaris Fraction induces apoptosis and G2/M Arrest via c-Jun N-Terminal kinase signaling pathway in oral squamous carcinoma KB Cells. ANTI-METASTATIC –Anti-tumor and anti-metastatic roles of cordycepin, one bioactive compound of Cordyceps militaris. –Extracts of Cordyceps sinensis inhibit breast cancer cell metastasis via down-regulation of metastasis-related cytokines expression. ANTI-ANGIOGENIC –Anti-tumor and anti-metastatic roles of cordycepin, one bioactive compound of Cordyceps militaris. CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY –Protective Effects of Nucleosides-Rich Extract from Cordyceps cicadae against Cisplatin Induced Testicular Damage. –Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes), Mycelia Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Oxidative Stress and Upregulates Krebs Cycle Dehydrogenases Activity and ATP Level in Rat Brain. –Cordyceps cicadae Mycelia Ameliorate Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Suppressing the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK and Activating the HO-1/Nrf2 and Sirt-1/AMPK Pathways in Mice. –Polysaccharides obtained from mycelia of Cordyceps militaris attenuated doxorubicin-induced cytotoxic effects in chemotherapy. –Protective effects of polysaccharides from Cordyceps gunnii mycelia against cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression to TLR4/TRAF6/NF-κB signalling in BALB/c mice. –Effect of fermented Cordyceps sinensis on doxorubicin‑induced cardiotoxicity in rats. ENHANCES RADIOTHERAPY –Cordycepin, isolated from medicinal fungus Cordyceps sinensis, enhances radiosensitivity of oral cancer associated with modulation of DNA damage repair. ATOPIC DERMATITIS –Anti-atopic dermatitis properties of Cordyceps militaris on TNFα/IFNγ-stimulated HaCaT cells and experimentally induced atopic dermatitis in mice. COSMETIC –The Feasibility of Utilizing Cultured Cordyceps militaris Residues in Cosmetics: Biological Activity Assessment of Their Crude Extracts. –Protective effects of Cordyceps extract against UVB‑induced damage and prediction of application prospects in the topical administration: An experimental validation and network pharmacology study.