Cordyceps: a traditional Chinese medicine and another fungal therapeutic biofactory?

Abstract in brief

• Cordyceps, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for centuries, especially due to its unique lifestyle on insect hosts, but overharvesting has made it endangered, prompting interest in cultivated fungi like Cordyceps militaris.
• Current scientific research is mixed, with some studies showing pharmacological benefits such as anti-cancer and anti-diabetes effects, particularly from polysaccharides and secondary metabolites, but much work relies on crude extracts and imperfect methodologies, leading to hype and uncertainty.
• There is a need for more rigorous studies using pure compounds, better analytical techniques, and genuine fungal strains, possibly employing bioreactors for cultivation, to verify Cordyceps' bioactivity and reconcile traditional claims with scientific evidence.