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Influence of Culture Conditions on Bioactive Compounds in Cordyceps militaris: A Comprehensive Review

Summary

This review examines how growing conditions affect the medicinal compounds produced by Cordyceps militaris mushrooms. The research shows that factors like light exposure, specific nutrient combinations, and growing on insect-based substrates can significantly boost production of beneficial compounds like cordycepin. These findings suggest ways to produce more effective and affordable medicinal mushroom products for use in supplements and pharmaceuticals.

Background

Cordyceps militaris is a medicinal fungus with diverse therapeutic properties attributed to bioactive compounds including cordycepin, polysaccharides, adenosine, D-mannitol, carotenoids, and ergosterol. The production and composition of these metabolites are highly influenced by cultivation conditions, making optimization strategies essential for industrial application.

Objective

This review synthesizes current findings on how nutritional factors and environmental parameters regulate C. militaris metabolite biosynthesis. It compares solid-state and liquid-state fermentation approaches and evaluates substrate choices to establish practical pathways for cost-effective, sustainable, and scalable production.

Results

Blue and pink light enhance cordycepin, carotenoid, and adenosine accumulation. Mixed grain-insect substrates show superior metabolite profiles compared to single substrates. Cordycepin titers reach up to 89.5 mg/g on Allomyrina dichotoma larvae and 30 mg/g under optimized LED conditions. Zinc and sulfate supplementation significantly enhance production.

Conclusion

Integration of multi-omics approaches with bioprocess engineering is needed to overcome current limitations in scale-up, oxygen transfer, and downstream processing. Future research should prioritize standardized cultivation protocols and strain-substrate matching strategies to advance sustainable production of C. militaris bioactive compounds.
  • Published in:Foods,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 41097576
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