Translational Research Division, Biomedical Institute of Mycological Resource, International St. Mary's Hospital and College of Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University, Incheon, 22711, Republic of Korea.
College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
J Microbiol. 2019 Jan;57(1):54-63. doi: 10.1007/s12275-019-8486-z. Epub 2018 Dec 29.
Cordyceps militaris is a species of Cordyceps that is classified in the Cordycipitaceae family and is well known in East Asia as a traditional medicinal mushroom. Its artificial fruit body has been widely cultivated for commercial use in cosmetics, functional food, and medicine. To explore the metabolites associated with fruit body development, we conducted gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses based on developmental stage, which was divided into the growth period (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3) and aging period (stage 4). We detected 39 biochemical metabolites associated with nucleotide, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolism. Cordycepin, one of the representative bioactive compounds in C. militaris, was significantly enriched in stage 4 of aging period and is associated with glucose accumulation. The accumulation of cordycepin in stage 4 of aging period also seems to be related to the glutamine and glutamic acid pathway. Our results also showed enrichment of other bioactive compounds such as mannitol and xylitol in stage 4 of aging period. Our metabolomic profiling based on the developmental stages of C. militaris is useful for exploring bioactive compounds (e.g., cordycepin, mannitol, GABA, and xylitol) that are enriched in stage 4 of aging period and understanding the biosynthetic mechanisms associated with cordycepin production. Through optimization of fruit body cultivation by selecting stage 4 of aging period as a harvesting time, our findings can be utilized in food and medical applications of C. militaris in future.
蛹虫草是虫草属的一种，属于虫草科，在东亚被广泛用作传统药用蘑菇。其人工子实体已广泛种植，用于化妆品、功能性食品和医药的商业用途。为了探索与子实体发育相关的代谢物，我们根据发育阶段进行了气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）分析，将其分为生长期（第 1 期、第 2 期和第 3 期）和衰老期（第 4 期）。我们检测到与核苷酸、碳水化合物和氨基酸代谢相关的 39 种生化代谢物。蛹虫草中的一种代表性生物活性化合物虫草素在衰老期第 4 期显著富集，与葡萄糖积累有关。衰老期第 4 期虫草素的积累似乎也与谷氨酰胺和谷氨酸途径有关。我们的研究结果还表明，其他生物活性化合物，如甘露醇和木糖醇，在衰老期第 4 期也有富集。我们基于蛹虫草发育阶段的代谢组学分析有助于探索在衰老期第 4 期富集的生物活性化合物（如虫草素、甘露醇、GABA 和木糖醇），并了解与虫草素生产相关的生物合成机制。通过选择衰老期第 4 期作为收获时间来优化子实体的栽培，可以在未来将我们的发现应用于蛹虫草的食品和医疗用途。
