Antitumor Compounds from Cordyceps Militaris

We
established a large-scale separation and purification platform to obtain
kilogram amounts of natural compounds from the extraction of the fruiting
bodies of C. militaris. Seven
monomeric compounds, N6-(2-hydroxyethyl) adenosine (HEA), ergosterol (E),
ergosta-7,22-diene-3,5,6-triol (EI), 5α,8α-epidioxy-(22E,24R)-ergosta-6,22-dien-3β-ol
(ED), ergosta-7,22-dien-3β,5α-dihydroxy-6-one(EO),(20S,22E,24R)-Eegosta-7,22-dien-3β,5α,6β,9α-tetraol22E,24R-ergosta-7,22-diene-3β,5α,6β,9α-tetraol
(ET), and (24S)-5,22-stigmastadien-3β-ol (SE), were harvested using
different solvents, and the structure of each compound was identified. The
activities and functions of the isolated compounds were tested by label-free,
real-time cell analysis methods at the cellular level, and their antitumor effects
were verified using mouse models of Lewis and H22 tumors. The anti-insomnia
effect of HEAadenosine was
tested in an anti-insomnia mouse model. The interactions between E and 8 A549
cell proteins were determined. The biosynthetic pathways of HEA and E, which
possess pharmacologically active monomers, were determined. This platform can
provide a theoretical basis for the further development and discovery of novel
natural medicines.