Zhejiang Institute of Economic and Trade, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China.
Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China.
Int J Med Mushrooms. 2021;23(6):45-55. doi: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2021038683.
Cordyceps bassiana, an entomogenous fungus, has been used as a dietary therapeutic in traditional Chinese medicine for several millennia. However, naturally occurring C. bassiana is notably scarce in the field, especially at the spore stage. To date, there are few comprehensive studies on the biological characteristics and pharmacological attributes of C. bassiana spores. In this study, an isolate of C. bassiana (Bs1112) was identified as the teleomorph of Beauveria bassiana using morphology and rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. In vitro solid substrate fermentation parameters were evaluated; a rice substrate with 0.01% K+ achieved the maximum spore yield. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the bioactive components of C. bassiana spore powder (BC-CBSP), which was extracted using alcohol, showed that concentrations of adenosine were higher than concentrations of inosine, uridine, and cordycepin. The pharmacological impact of BC-CBSP was elucidated in a live animal model, Caenorhabditis elegans, at a range of concentrations from 0.145 to 14.5 mg/mL. The reproductive rate, frequency of head swinging and body bending (indicative of C. elegans locomotion), and lifespan of C. elegans were determined and compared with untreated populations. At the lowest concentration of BC-CBSP, reproduction was slowed but the number of eggs was not reduced. However, at both of the higher concentrations (1.45 and 14.5 mg/mL), BC-CBSP reduced the total number of eggs produced during the 8-day observation period. Furthermore, 0.145 mg/mL of BC-CBSP significantly increased the frequency of head swinging/body bending and the lifespan of C. elegans. This is the first report on the pharmacological effects of C. bassiana spores. Results suggest that low concentrations of BC-CBSP have no negative effects on the reproduction rate of C. elegans but could enhance nervous system activity and extend their lifespan.
球孢白僵菌是一种昆虫病原真菌，在传统中药中已被用作食疗数千年。然而，天然存在的球孢白僵菌在野外特别在孢子阶段显著稀缺。迄今为止，关于球孢白僵菌孢子的生物学特性和药理学属性的综合研究很少。在这项研究中，通过形态学和 rDNA 内部转录间隔区序列，鉴定出一种球孢白僵菌（Bs1112）分离株为白僵菌的有性型。评估了体外固体基质发酵参数；含 0.01%K+的大米基质实现了最大孢子产量。使用酒精提取的球孢白僵菌孢子粉（BC-CBSP）的生物活性成分的高效液相色谱分析表明，腺苷的浓度高于肌苷、尿苷和虫草素的浓度。在浓度范围为 0.145 至 14.5mg/mL 的活体动物模型秀丽隐杆线虫中阐明了 BC-CBSP 的药理作用。确定并比较了生殖率、头部摆动和身体弯曲（表明秀丽隐杆线虫的运动）的频率以及秀丽隐杆线虫的寿命。在 BC-CBSP 的最低浓度下，繁殖速度减慢但卵的数量没有减少。然而，在两个较高浓度（1.45 和 14.5mg/mL）下，BC-CBSP 减少了在 8 天观察期内产生的总卵数。此外，0.145mg/mL 的 BC-CBSP 显著增加了头部摆动/身体弯曲的频率和秀丽隐杆线虫的寿命。这是首次报道球孢白僵菌孢子的药理作用。结果表明，低浓度的 BC-CBSP 对秀丽隐杆线虫的繁殖率没有负面影响，但可以增强神经系统活动并延长其寿命。
