Cordyceps militaris, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, has multiple health-promoting effects. It is used as a herbal remedy and health food in Asian countries. Cultured mycelia are often used as a substitute for natural C. militaris. In the present study, the mycelia and fruiting bodies of artificially cultured C. militaris were analyzed using a metabolomics approach. The protein and crude fat contents of the mycelia were substantially higher than those of the fruiting bodies. The top three abundant amino acids in the mycelia were proline (3.9 g/100 g), aspartic acid (2.9 g/100 g), and glutamic acid (2.7 g/100 g). The carbohydrate content was similar in the fruiting bodies and mycelia. Analysis revealed that both the fruiting bodies and mycelia are rich in phenolic compounds and exhibit antioxidant activity. Further, six metabolites were significantly different between the mycelia and fruiting bodies. The levels of Ca, glucose, Mg, and Se were higher in the mycelia than in the fruiting bodies. In contrast, mannitol and Zn were more abundant in the fruiting bodies. The current study provides a comprehensive metabolic profile of the mycelia and fruiting bodies of artificially cultured C. militaris. Such an exercise is potentially important for understanding the metabolism of C. militaris and facilitating the use of cultured mycelia as a supplement to C. militaris fruiting bodies in traditional Chinese medicine.

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
    Mycelium preparation
    Submerged culture
    Solid-state fermentation for fruiting body growth ofC. militaris
    Proximate composition
    Measurement of Amino acids
    Mineral and Trace Element Determinations
    Carbohydrate analysis
    Measurement of Nucleoside and Mannitol
    Determination of polyphenol and flavonoid content
    Antioxidant activity assay
    Metabolomics
    Statistical analysis
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
    The protein and crude fat content
    Amino acid composition
    Carbohydrates
    Nucleoside and mannitol
    Polyphenol and flavonoid content
    Antioxidant activity
    Metabolic changes in mycelium and fruiting bodies
REFERENCES

• Si Young Ha(Department of Environmental Materials Science, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea)
• Ji Young Jung(Department of Environmental Materials Science, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea)
• Han Min Park(Department of Environmental Materials Science, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea)
• Jae-Kyung Yang(Department of Environmental Materials Science, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author