| *Cordyceps | Model | Route | Daily Dose or Concentration | Study Duration | Effects | Treatment | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. sinensis hot water extract | Radiation-induced mice bone marrow and intestinal injuries | p.o. | 50 mg/kg | 7 days | Reduced lethality; protected against radiation-induced intestinal and bone marrow injury; accelerated the recovery of white blood cells | Radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome and bone marrow failure | Liu et al. 2006 |
| Radiation-stimulated bone marrow cells Murine osteoblastic cells | CE | 500 μg/mL | 1 hour | Increased the survival of cells | |||
| Murine osteoblastic cells | 24 hours | Reduced ROS level in the cells | |||||
| Fruiting bodies of cultured C. sinensis aqueous extract | D-galactose-induced aged mice | p.o. | 1, 2, and 4 g/kg | 6 weeks | Enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of hepatic and brain and erythrocytes, blood GSH-Px and catalase activity; decreased MDA content in the brain and liver, and monoamine oxidase activity of brain; improved learning and memory | Antiaging | Ji et al. 2009 |
| Primary macrophages | CE | 0.1–5.0 mg/mL | 24 hours | Suppressed the elevation of lipid peroxide in LDL in a dose-dependent manner by scavenging free radicals; inhibited cholesteryl ester deposition | Antiatherosclerosis | Yamaguchi et al. 2000a | |
| Atherosclerotic mice | p.o. | 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day | 12 weeks | Inhibited LDL oxidation mediated by free radicals rather than by reduction in serum lipid level; suppressed the increased aortic cholesteryl ester level | Antiatherosclerosis | Yamaguchi et al. 2000b | |
| Fruiting bodies of C. militaris | Gerbil with transient forebrain ischemia injury | p.o. | 500 mg/kg | 10 days | Reduced neuronal damage and gial activation via downregulation of lipid peroxidation in the ischemic CA1 region and decreased activation of astrocytes and microglia | Ischemic damage | Hwang et al. 2008 |
| Mycelia of C. ophioglossoides MeOH extract | β-amyloid-induced Alzheimer disease rats | i.p. | 100 mg/kg | 31 days | Prevented β-amyloid-induced decrease in spatial memory and learning capacity | Alzheimer’s disease | Jin et al. 2004 |
| β-amyloid stimulated SK-N-SH neuronal cells | CE | 100 μg/mL | 48 h | Reversed β-amyloid-induced cell death; suppressed β-amyloid-induced ROS release from cells |
Note: p.o.: per os, oral administration; i.p.: intraperitoneal administration; CE: cell experiments.
*Cordyceps extracts were incubated with cells.
From: Chapter 5, Cordyceps as an Herbal Drug
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