research
Scientists are growing “zombie mushrooms” that live on insects and are said to help against cancer
Cordyceps mushrooms growing on a mulberry silkworm pupa
© Getty Images / Kornwipa Ponganan
Cordyceps fungi infest insects and take control of their bodies and behavior. According to researchers, these fungi could also be used in medicine.
The mushrooms could also be a game-changer for research into new anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs, but until now, breeding them has been extremely complicated. A research team from Korea and Egypt has found a way to better grow the mushrooms in the lab.
Mushrooms cultivated using insects instead of rice
The fungi are very rare in nature and difficult to cultivate, which is why little research has been done on them so far. In the laboratory, the mushrooms could already be grown with brown rice, but produced only little cordycepin.
For this reason, the researchers use insects as richer protein sources. Cordyceps fungi are known to infest insects and turn them into zombies: the fungi take control of the host’s body and manipulate its behavior to infect other insects.
Recent research suggests that a chemical compound found in the mushroom called cordycepin in particular has many potential health benefits, including anti-cancer and anti-viral properties.
Researchers have discovered a better way to cultivate Cordyceps mushrooms
© Getty Images / Edwin_Butter
“In nature, insects are the direct sources of nutrients for Cordyceps,” the scientists write. “Therefore, optimized conditions for culturing the fungi for efficient cordycepin production were explored, using six edible insects as substrates.” These included mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers.
Cordycepin could be used against corona viruses
The study author Dr. According to Mi Kyeong Lee, the mushrooms grown on edible insects contained about 100 times more cordycepin compared to those grown on brown rice. Although cordycepin levels varied by insect, the researchers found that fat — not protein — was the key factor.
There is evidence that cordycepin has antiviral properties. Recent research also underscores its potential as a Covid-19 therapy, Lee said. The scientists published their results on Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Sources: forbes, Frontiers in Microbiology