Features of the Cordyceps Sinensis

The Cordyceps forms the genera of even more than four hundred different species. It basically is a genus of the fungi ascomycete. It is an endoparasitoid and it resides inside the host’s body. Its hosts may mainly include insects and various other arthropods. Or they may even grow on some other fungi. Cordyceps Sinensis one of the most famous species of Cordyceps fungi. It was first discovered in fifteenth century in Tibet. There it was originally called yartsa gumba. Originated from Latin cord means club, ceps means head and Sinensis is used for Chinese.

Various points

Cordyceps Sinensis may also be popularly known as caterpillar fungus in English. They originate because of the parasitic relation that the fungus shares with the ghost moth Thitarodes’ larva. Many species are found on the Plateau of Tibet. This fungus originates and grows from the insect’s body and then kills and feeds on the insect. The caterpillars which may be infected by this fungus are found living usually in the alpine grasses or the shrublands. They may live at three thousand to five thousand altitudes on high mountain ranges. The fungus attacks on the caterpillar Thitarodes while it feeds on roots. This may occur when of one the spores of the fungus are injected into the insect by its breathing pores. Then it fills the complete body cavity of the insect with its mycelia and finally the insect dies. Then this mushroom grows out of the caterpillar’s forehead usually in the early summer season of the spring season. Its body is dark brown or black in colour. It stretches up to ten or fifteen centimetres and then releases its spores.

Medicinal advantages provided

This combination of the caterpillar and fungus is together used as a medicine. It traditionally, is a Chinese medicine. This fungus is a mushroom which is used for the treatment of many different kinds of diseases ranging from mild fatigue to even cancer. They may also be useful for Hepatitis B treatment. It is considered to have the perfect balance between animal and vegetable since it is a mushroom but at the same time a fungus also. It produces substances that are pharmacologically active and these are now cultivated for extracting medicines. But they have yet not been grown artificially. Typically, three to ten grams of dosage may be sufficient. It is one of the best and most popular energy booster and came into notice when it helped the Chinese athletes in breaking world records. It may even prove helpful to people who have resistance to insulin since it has the hypoglycaemic effects. They have antioxidant properties and prevent the cholesterol accumulation.It also helps in the treatment of kidney, liver, immune system and heart. This medicinal property is mainly due to the presence of the bioactive polysaccharides, metabolites and nucleosides that this fungus produces. This is in general used to replenish the overall body health. It also serves as a very important means of income. Thus, overall, CordycepsSinensis may exactly not be tasty enough but this fungus or mushroom certainly tends to improve your health and keep you fit.

Features of the Cordyceps Sinensis

The Cordyceps forms the genera of even more than four hundred different species. It basically is a genus of the fungi ascomycete. It is an endoparasitoid and it resides inside the host’s body. Its hosts may mainly include insects and various other arthropods. Or they may even grow on some other fungi. Cordyceps Sinensis one of the most famous species of Cordyceps fungi. It was first discovered in fifteenth century in Tibet. There it was originally called yartsa gumba. Originated from Latin cord means club, ceps means head and Sinensis is used for Chinese.

Various points

Cordyceps Sinensis may also be popularly known as caterpillar fungus in English. They originate because of the parasitic relation that the fungus shares with the ghost moth Thitarodes’ larva. Many species are found on the Plateau of Tibet. This fungus originates and grows from the insect’s body and then kills and feeds on the insect. The caterpillars which may be infected by this fungus are found living usually in the alpine grasses or the shrublands. They may live at three thousand to five thousand altitudes on high mountain ranges. The fungus attacks on the caterpillar Thitarodes while it feeds on roots. This may occur when of one the spores of the fungus are injected into the insect by its breathing pores. Then it fills the complete body cavity of the insect with its mycelia and finally the insect dies. Then this mushroom grows out of the caterpillar’s forehead usually in the early summer season of the spring season. Its body is dark brown or black in colour. It stretches up to ten or fifteen centimetres and then releases its spores.

Medicinal advantages provided

This combination of the caterpillar and fungus is together used as a medicine. It traditionally, is a Chinese medicine. This fungus is a mushroom which is used for the treatment of many different kinds of diseases ranging from mild fatigue to even cancer. They may also be useful for Hepatitis B treatment. It is considered to have the perfect balance between animal and vegetable since it is a mushroom but at the same time a fungus also. It produces substances that are pharmacologically active and these are now cultivated for extracting medicines. But they have yet not been grown artificially. Typically, three to ten grams of dosage may be sufficient. It is one of the best and most popular energy booster and came into notice when it helped the Chinese athletes in breaking world records. It may even prove helpful to people who have resistance to insulin since it has the hypoglycaemic effects. They have antioxidant properties and prevent the cholesterol accumulation.It also helps in the treatment of kidney, liver, immune system and heart. This medicinal property is mainly due to the presence of the bioactive polysaccharides, metabolites and nucleosides that this fungus produces. This is in general used to replenish the overall body health. It also serves as a very important means of income. Thus, overall, Cordyceps Sinensis may exactly not be tasty enough but this fungus or mushroom certainly tends to improve your health and keep you fit.

Popularity of Cordyceps

The Cordyceps fungus is known to be a very effective tonic and also an aphrodisiac. It is boomingly used as a supplement for the diet and nourishment or as a medicine. Due to the rapidly growing demand of this mushroom, it also tends to be a new income provider for rural people especially who cultivate it.

Origination and description of the species

Coming originally from the fungus ascomycete, it is a parasitic fungus and it lives on the larvae of moths and butterflies or scientifically speaking, lepidopterous. It mainly attacks those caterpillars which have the Thitarodes genus. Cordyceps Sinensis grows from about three thousand to five thousand meters above the sea level in cold and grassy meadows of alpine. The host insects are generally living underground in the mountains or plateaus and there they spend mostly three to five years as pupa. The Cordyceps Sinensis spreads its spores by wind on the soil and on the plants. When the caterpillar comes out to feed on the herbaceous vegetation, these larvae get absorbed. They may enter the body of the caterpillar from its mouth or from respiratory pores. Each metamere may contain around two of these fungi. After it has entered the host’s body, the mycelium ejected by the fungus fills the whole cavity inside the body of the insect, and then slowly it completely replaces the tissues of the host. The dead insect then turns yellow or brown coloured. The cylindrical fruiting body grows up and protrudes out from the insect’s forehead. It is usually five to fifteen centimetres long. The fungus tissue mass or commonly called as stroma has many small perithecia which contain the sacs producing spores called asci. The time period from spores dispersion to infection is around fourteen to fifteen days. The dry mushroom is three to ten centimetres of length. It is present in altitudes of four to four thousand five hundred metres. The mushroom is difficult to be seen since it is so small. Its cultivation requires a lot of patience as well as concentration.

Popular usage and advantages obtained

Cordyceps Sinensis is one substance that metamorphises between spring and summers. It is also referred to as summers grass winters worm. It is regarded as one of the top four plants to cure all diseases related to virility. They improve and enhance the physical strength. They boost up the energy of the body, increase the life span and also support the five body senses. The people treated with this drug showed remarkable improvement in case of intolerance to cold, frequent nausea, dizziness, fatigue, amnesia, etc.  They are a source of biochemical and have very interesting pharmacological properties. Three to six grams per day of consumption has been used to treat patients who had acute renal failure. Their main components may include adinocine, uridine, uracils, hypoxanthine, thymine, etc. They are used in older population for improving the weakness caused because of aging. Cordyceps therefore have a lot of potential to be one of the most important drugs in medicine.