Regulation of human cytokines by Cordyceps militaris

Abstract

Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) exhibits many biological activities including antioxidant, inhibition of inflammation, cancer prevention, hypoglycemic, and antiaging properties, etc. However, a majority of studies involving C. militaris have focused only on in vitro and animal models, and there is a lack of direct translation and application of study results to clinical practice (e.g., health benefits). In this study, we investigated the regulatory effects of C. militaris micron powder (3 doses) on the human immune system. The study results showed that administration of C. militaris at various dosages reduced the activity of cytokines such as eotaxin, fibroblast growth factor-2, GRO, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. In addition, there was a significant decrease in the activity of various cytokines, including GRO, sCD40L, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and a significant downregulation of interleukin-12(p70), interferon-γ inducible protein 10, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β activities, indicating that C. militaris at all three dosages downregulated the activity of cytokines, especially inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Different dosages of C. militaris produced different changes in cytokines.

Baked Bread Enhances the Immune Response and the Catabolism in the Human Body in Comparison with Steamed Bread

“…On the fifth day (second Sunday), unbiased food + 100 g baked bread were provided for lunch; and a blood sample was collected as above. The selection of blood collection time points was based on the assumption that the foods/functional foods have a relatively significant effect on the human body (including cytokines and metabolic enzymes) 2.5-3.5 h after eating [10][11][12][13]29].…”

“…However, no animal can truly reflect the effects of foods on the human body. Through extensive research, we have established the cytokine network and central metabolic pathway (CMP) network to quantitatively evaluate the effects of foods on immunity and metabolism in the human body [8,[10][11][12][13][14].…”

Ingestion of Exopolymers from Aureobasidium pullulans Reduces the Duration of Cold and Flu Symptoms: A Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Intervention Study

“…Indeed, in a study of normal Korean cytokine levels, 110 subjects were studied [37], and in a study of normal American cytokine levels, 144 subjects were examined [38] to estimate the normal range of blood cytokine concentration. Serval studies have shown that no changes in blood cytokine levels have been observed following ingestion of multivitamin and mineral supplement [39], probiotic supplement [40], fish oil [41], and Cordyceps militaris [42], which are known to help improve immunity. This may be because the cytokine level increased during the test period and then returned to normal, or the number of subjects was small, indicating that the individual deviation range was not statistically significant.…”

Soya-cerebroside reduces interleukin production in human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts by inhibiting the ERK, NF-κB and AP-1 signalling pathways

“…In other research, another cerebroside isolated from C. militaris, cordycerebroside B, has exhibited marked inhibitory activity against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, indicating that C. militaris may possess hypoglycemic activity and be useful in type 2 diabetes (Sun et al, 2019). Moreover, six compounds isolated from C. militaris such as ergosterol, adenosine, cordycepin, ergosterol peroxide, tetracosanoic acid 2,3-dihydroxypropylester, and mannitol have shown strong procoagulant activity (Juanjuan et al, 2018), while a clinical study has revealed that oral administration of different dosages of C. militaris significantly decreased the activity of various cytokines, particularly inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, indicating that C. militaris can reduce excessive immune responses in diseases such as autoimmune disorders and cancers (Sun et al, 2014). Up until now, no reports have documented the effects of soya-cerebroside in RA.…”