Acidified Hot Water Extraction of Adenosine, Cordycepin, and Polysaccharides from the Chinese Caterpillar Mushroom, Ophiocordyceps sinensis CS1197 (Ascomycetes): Application of an Artificial Neural Network and Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities.

The effects of process variables (temperature, time, and pH) on the extraction of adenosine, cordycepin, and polysaccharides from Ophiocordyceps sinensis CS1197 were studied using response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN model resulted in low root mean square errors (0.022, 0.079, 0.018) and high R2 values (0.995, 0.934, 0.997) for adenosine, cordycepin, and polysaccharide yields, respectively, which implied good agreement between the predicted and actual data. An overall desirability of 0.86 suggested optimal extraction conditions (temperature, 70°C; time, 1 hour; and pH ~4) for adenosine (0.205%) and cordycepin (0.246%) yields. For polysaccharide yield (6.34%), an overall desirability of 0.93 suggested extraction conditions: temperature, 87°C; time, 3.4 hours, and pH ~4. The water extract exhibited better antioxidant activity. The antibacterial activity of the water extract was assayed against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, and larger amounts of the extract (30 and 50 mg) exhibited antibacterial activity (<35%). The predictive ability of an ANN is superior to RSM and resulted in the best agreement between experimental and predicted values.

Bioactive principles from Cordyceps sinensis: A potent food supplement - A review.

Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is a well-known entamophagus fungus, naturally distributed in the Tibetan Plateau of Asia and Himalayas. Recently this synonym is transferred to Ophiocordyceps by both scientific and non-scientific communities. It is widely used as a tonic and medicinal food in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as it possess wonderful health benefits. To support its functional attributes, various investigations have been carried out to find out its adaptogenic, aphrodisiac, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, neuroprotective, nootropic, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer and hepatoprotective role. Its fruiting portion as well as the larvae possesses potent bio-active fractions and their composition almost found to be similar in both. The bioactive principles are nucleosides, exo-polysaccharides, sterols and, proteins, among others. Among nucleosides, adenosine and cordycepin are the major biochemical markers. Further, different types of solvent extracts and their mixtures exhibit wide range of pharmacological activities, while the water and methanol extracts with the richest sources of nucleosides and polysaccharides also show wide range of pharmacological activities. This review gives a panoramic view of potential health benefits of various classes of bio-active fractions along with the need for sustainable management of CS for human wellness.