Molecular Characterization of a Novel Alternavirus Infecting the Entomopathogenic Fungus Cordyceps Chanhua

In this study, a novel double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus, named Cordyceps chanhua alternavirus 1 (CcAV1), was detected in the entomogenous fungus Cordyceps chanhua from China. The complete genome of CcAV1 contained three dsRNA genome segments, dsRNA 1 (3,512 bp), dsRNA 2 (2,655 bp), and dsRNA 3 (2,415 bp). All the three dsRNAs possess a single open reading frame (ORF). DsRNA 1 with 3,512 bp long encoded a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), while dsRNA 2 with 2,655 bp long and dsRNA 3 with 2,415 bp long encoded a hypothetical protein 1 (HP 1) and a hypothetical protein 2 (HP 2), respectively. The RdRp, HP 1 and HP 2 sequences had the highest identity of 66.99%, 49.30% and 56.91%, respectively, to those of Aspergillus foetidus dsRNA mycovirus. A maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree from RdRp sequence revealed that CcAV1 was placed in the clade of the proposed family “Alternaviridae”. Hence, we proposed that Cordyceps chanhua alternavirus 1 is a novel member of the proposed “Alternaviridae”.

Different Cultivation Environments Affect the Yield, Bacterial Community and Metabolites of Cordyceps cicadae

Cordyceps cicadae is an entomogenous fungus with important uses in traditional Chinese medicine. However, its wild resources have not met consumers’ demand due to excessive harvesting practices. Artificial cultivation is therefore an important alternative, but research on cultivating C. cicadae in natural habitats has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to explore the viability of cultivating C. cicadae in a natural habitat, in the soil of Pinus massoniana forest. We assessed and compared the yield, metabolite contents and bacterial community composition of C. cicadae grown in the Antheraea pernyi pupae at different growth stages, and under different cultivation conditions, in the soil of a natural habitat and in sterile glass bottles. Our results showed that cultivating C. cicadae in a natural habitat is feasible, with up to 95% of pupae producing C. cicadae fruiting bodies. The content of nitrogen compounds (amino acids) in C. cicadae cultivated in a natural habitat was significantly higher than in glass bottles, while the yield and carbon compound (mannitol and polysaccharide) and nucleoside (cordycepin and adenosine) contents were lower. Different bacterial genera were enriched in C. cicadae at different growth stages and cultivation environments, and these bacterial genera were closely related to metabolites contents during growth. This study demonstrated the viability of a novel cultivation method of C. cicadae, which could be used as an alternative to wild stocks of this fungus. These findings provided new insights into the growth mechanism of C. cicadae and its interaction with soil microorganisms.

Functional and In Vitro Antioxidant Properties of Wild and Insect-Cultured Cordyceps Cicadae Polysaccharides

Cordyceps cicadae is an entomogenous fungus, which is used as both medicine and food due to the presence of rich bioactive substances. Currently, most studies focus on the pharmacological effects of the bioactive components of C. cicadae, but the research on their processing is still in its infancy. In this study, polysaccharides were extracted from insect-cultivated C. cicadae (tussah pupae C. cicadae and domestic silkworm pupae C. cicadae) and wild C. cicadae. The functional properties of C. cicadae polysaccharides were evaluated. At the same time, the in vitro antioxidant activity of the insect-cultivated C. cicadae was determined and compared with the wild C. cicadae. The results showed that the cultivated C. cicadae polysaccharides and the wild one had similar structures, and both had appreciable water solubility, oilholding capacity, thermal stability, and emulsifying property compared to foaming property and foaming stability. Further, the C. cicadae polysaccharides cultured on silkworm pupae and tussah pupae showed comparable antioxidant and reducing power to the wild C. cicadae. Our data indicates that the C. cicadae polysaccharides have the potential as a food additive, among which the domestic silkworm pupae C. cicadae showed the best outcome, and the C. cicadae polysaccharides cultured by bionic method have the same antioxidant activity as the wild one.

Setosphlides A–D, New Isocoumarin Derivatives from the Entomogenous Fungus Setosphaeria rostrate LGWB-10

Investigation of the entomogenous fungus Setosphaeria rostrate LGWB-10 from Harmonia axyridis led to the isolation of four new isocoumarin derivatives, setosphlides A–D (1–4), and four known analogues (5–8). Their planar structures and the relative configurations were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic methods. The absolute configurations of isocoumarin nucleus for 1–4 were elucidated by their ECD spectra. The C-10 relative configurations for the pair of C-10 epimers (1 and 2) were established by comparing the magnitude of the computed 13C NMR chemical shifts (Δδcalcd.) with the experimental 13C NMR values (Δδexp.) for the epimers. All of the isolated compounds (1–8) were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against four human tumor cell lines MCF-7, MGC-803, HeLa, and Huh-7. Graphic Abstract

Efficient conversion of spent mushroom substrate into high value-added anticancer drug pentostatin with engineered Cordyceps militaris

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is lignocellulosic waste that contributes to environmental pollution. The entomogenous fungus Cordyceps militaris cannot utilize the cellulose in SMS for growth, but it can produce a...

Yarsagumba is a Promising Therapeutic Option for Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension due to the Potent Anti-Proliferative and Vasorelaxant Properties

Background and objectives: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by the vasoconstriction and abnormally proliferative vascular cells. The available allopathic treatment options for PH are still not able to cure the disease. Alternative medicine is becoming popular and drawing the attention of the general public and scientific communities. The entomogenous fungus Yarsagumba (Cordyceps sinensis) and its biologically active ingredient cordycepin may represent the therapeutic option for this incurable disease, owing to their anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory and anti-oxidative effects. Methods: In this study, we investigated whether Yarsagumba extract and cordycepin possess anti-proliferative and vasorelaxant properties in the context of PH, using 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine assay and isolated mice lungs, respectively. Results: Our results revealed that Yarsagumba extract and its bioactive compound cordycepin significantly attenuated the proliferation of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells derived from donor and PH subjects. In isolated murine lungs, only Yarsagumba extract, but not cordycepin, resulted in vasodilatation, indicating the probable existence of other bioactive metabolites present in Yarsagumba that may be responsible for this outcome. Conclusion: Future comprehensive in vivo and in vitro research is crucially needed to discover the profound mechanistic insights with regard to this promising therapeutic potency of Yarsagumba extract and to provide further evidence as to whether it can be used as a strategy for the treatment of PH.