A review on polysaccharide biosynthesis in Cordyceps militaris.

Na Wu, Xiaodong Ge, Xuemei Yin, Lei Yang, Ligen Chen, Rong Shao, Wei Xu

International journal of biological macromolecules 2024 Mar

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Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) is an edible parasitic fungus with medicinal properties. Its bioactive polysaccharides are structurally diverse and exhibit various metabolic and biological activities, including antitumor, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory, and anti-atherosclerotic effects. These properties make C. militaris-derived polysaccharides a promising candidate for future development. Recent advancements in microbial fermentation technology have enabled successful laboratory cultivation and extraction of these polysaccharides. These polysaccharides are structurally diverse and exhibit various biological activities, such as immunostimulatory, antioxidant, antitumor, hypolipidemic, and anti-atherosclerotic effects. This review aims to summarize the structure and production mechanisms of polysaccharides from C. militaris, covering extraction methods, key genes and pathways involved in biosynthesis, and fermentation factors that influence yield and activity. Furthermore, the future potential and challenges of utilizing polysaccharides in the development of health foods and pharmaceuticals are addressed. This review serves as a valuable reference in the fields of food and medicine, and provides a theoretical foundation for the study of polysaccharides. Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Citation

Na Wu, Xiaodong Ge, Xuemei Yin, Lei Yang, Ligen Chen, Rong Shao, Wei Xu. A review on polysaccharide biosynthesis in Cordyceps militaris. International journal of biological macromolecules. 2024 Mar;260(Pt 1):129336