Cordyceps: more than 21 clinically approved benefits on human health including anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, anti-oxidative, immunomodulatory, sexual potentiator and anti-ageing effects.

“Cordyceps has a long history of use as a lung and kidney tonic, and for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis and other diseases of the respiratory system. The cardiovascular effects of Cordyceps are being noticed more frequently by researchers as it works through variety of possible ways either by lowering high blood pressure via direct dilatory effects or mediated through M-cholinergic receptors resulting in improvement in the coronary and cerebral blood circulation.”

“Cordyceps is a natural medicinal mushroom which is well liked by people nowadays as they believe more in natural therapy than chemotherapy because of lesser side effects.”

“The usage of natural/herbal medicines over the synthetic ones has seen an upward trend in the recent past. Cordyceps being an ancient medicinal mushroom used as a crude drug for the welfare of mankind in old civilization is now a matter of great concern because of its unexplored potentials obtained by various culture techniques and being an excellent source of bioactive metabolites with more than 21 clinically approved benefits on human health including anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, anti-oxidative, immunomodulatory, sexual potentiator and anti-ageing effects.”

Cordycepin interferes in mTOR signal transduction - possible anti-cancer mechanism

“Cordycepin has been reported to shorten the poly A tail of m-RNA which further affects its stability inside the cytoplasm. It was observed that inhibition of polyadenylation with Cordycepin of some m-RNAs made them more sensitive than the other mRNAs. At higher doses, Cordycepin inhibits cell attachment and reduces focal adhesion. Further increase in the dosage of Cordycepin may shutdown mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway (Fig. 4) (Wong et al. 2010). The name mTOR has been derived from the drug rapamycin, because this drug inhibits mTOR activity. The mTOR inhibitors such as rapamycin and CCI-779 have been tested as anti-cancer drugs, because they inhibit or block mTOR signaling pathway.”

References:

3 Biotech. 2014 Feb; 4(1): 1–12. Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of Cordyceps with special reference to Cordycepin Hardeep S. Tuli

Zhu JS, Halpern GM, Jones K. The scientific rediscovery of a precious ancient Chinese herbal regimen: Cordyceps sinensis: part II. J Altern Complem Med. 1998;4:429–457.

Medicinal uses of the mushroom Cordyceps militaris: current state and prospects. Das SK, Masuda M, Sakurai A, Sakakibara M Fitoterapia. 2010 Dec; 81(8):961-8.

Cordycepin inhibits protein synthesis and cell adhesion through effects on signal transduction. Wong YY, Moon A, Duffin R, Barthet-Barateig A, Meijer HA, Clemens MJ, de Moor CH J Biol Chem. 2010 Jan 22; 285(4):2610-21.