Cordyceps militaris is widely used in China, Korea, and other Asian countries as both a traditional medicinal ingredient and an edible fungus. This study aimed to optimize the growth conditions and fruiting body production of C. militaris by investigating various culture media and physical parameters such as pH, aeration, illumination, temperature, spawn materials, and oat–sawdust-based substrate formulations. After a 7-day incubation period, oats with a pH of 6.0, under sealed and illuminated conditions at 32°C, demonstrated the most effective mycelial growth. Substrates consisting of 70% oat and 30% sawdust had the shortest incubation time of 30.5 days for fruiting body formation. The basidiospores showed a typical germination pattern where the sporidium produced a single germ tube that elongated, and branched to form monokaryotic primary mycelia. In conclusion, using oats as a substrate in the cultivation of C. militaris could reduce production costs and help protect the environment.

We studied the effects of initial pH, different nitrogen sources, and cultivation methods (shake flask and static culture) on biomass production, exopolysaccharides (EPS), and adenosine by Paecilomyces tenuipes. Relatively low pH levels were optimal for mycelial growth and EPS production. Yeast extract was the most effective organic nitrogen source for EPS production, whereas soybean extract was the best for adenosine production. A high C/N ratio was beneficial for adenosine production; however, excessively high C/N ratios reduced adenosine production. Static fermentation significantly increased adenosine production. A Box-Behnken design was used to optimize adenosine production; the optimal conditions for adenosine production by P. tenuipes were pH 7.0, soybean concentration of 3%, and a static culture period of 20 days, with the maximum adenosine production of 141.10 mg/L (predicted value: 128.05 mg/L).

Ethanol production from various agricultural and forest residues has been widely researched, but there is limited information available on the use of mixed hardwood for ethanol production. The main objective of this study is to assess the impact of time on the steam explosion pretreatment of waste wood (mixed hardwood) and to determine the convenience of a delignification step with respect to the susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose residue and the recoveries of both cellulose and hemicellulosic sugars. Delignification did enhance enzymatic hydrolysis yields of steam exploded waste wood. For steam explosion pretreatment times of 3 and 5 min, the recovery yield of hemicellulosic-derived sugars decreased. The effective hemicellulose solubilization does not always result in high recoveries of hemicellulose-derived sugars in the liquid fractions due to sugar degradation. In the steam explosion pretreatment times of 3 and 5 min, where hemicellulose solubilization exceeded 95%, but sugar recoveries in the liquid fraction remained below 30%. Cellulose to glucose yield losses were less significant than hemicellulosic-sugar losses, with a maximum loss of 24% at 5 min. Up to 80% of the lignin in the original wood was solubilized, leaving a cellulose-rich residue that led to a concentrated cellulose to glucose yield solution (about 50 g/L after 72 h enzymatic hydrolysis in the best case). The maximum overall process yield, taking into account both sugars present in the liquid from steam explosion pretreatment and cellulose to glucose yield from the steam exploded, delignified and hydrolyzed solid was obtained at the lowest steam explosion pretreatment time assayed.

The objective of this study was to determine the ultrasonication-assisted extraction conditions that maximize the DPPH radical scavenging activity of extracts obtained from the stems of Lespedeza bicolor Turcz through the application of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Before delving into the analysis of extraction conditions using the RSM model, we conducted efficiency validation of ultrasonication-assisted extraction and executed single-factor experiments for ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature. The data obtained from these single-factor experiments were employed to construct the Box-Behnken Design (BBD). In these results, in the single-factor experiments, it was evident that the parameters for ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature exhibited quadratic trends. The single-factor experiments allowed us to discern the trends for each parameter leading to the maximum antioxidant capacity, and this data was subsequently applied to the BBD. Following the completion of initial experiments, a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model was constructed based on Box-Behnken Design (BBD). According to the predictive model developed in this study, it was anticipated that performing ultrasonic-assisted extraction for 85.0412 minutes at an ethanol concentration of 32.573% and an extraction temperature of 51.5608°C will result in a DPPH radical scavenging activity of 79.7146%. The predictive results were statistically verified through a comparative analysis with actual measurements and ANOVA analysis, confirming the statistical significance of the model. The finding of this study underscore the significance of optimizing extraction conditions in the precise quantification of the antioxidant potential for economic advantages in both experimental and industrial contexts.

Paecilomyces tenuipes (P. tenuipes) is a fungus cultivated artificially by South Korean researchers, utilizing rice bran as its substrate. The increased demand for this fungus has not been met with successful cultivation methods for fruiting body production in natural environments. Therefore, we tested the effect on the growth of P. tenuipes using a Solid media based on pests. In this results, the Solid media based on M.alternatus was effective in increasing the growth of P. tenuipes and the content of cordycepin. Moreover, we confirmed the conditions for manufacturing a Solid media based on M.alternatus for P. tenuipes growth. We suggested that the growth-promoting compounds offers valuable insights for optimizing fungal cultivation conditions, thereby enhancing productivity and contributing to a broader understanding of fungal physiology in varying nutritional environments.

Mushrooms play crucial roles as reservoirs of naturally occurring bioactive compounds. Among these, Cordyceps militaris is significant because of its well-established reputation for organoleptic excellence and positive health effects, which have led to its widespread commercialization. In contrast, the key properties of Paecilomyces variotii, an ectomycorrhizal symbiont, has received limited attention. In alignment with current research trends, the study of the mycelia and culture media of these mushrooms hold promise in identifying potential sources of valuable bioactive compounds. In the present study, we investigated C. militaris and P. variotii for their phenolic acids and sterols, assessing antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory effects, and anti-proliferative activity. Interestingly, P. variotii mycelia exhibited higher concentrations of ergosterol and phenolic compounds, with comparable levels observed in the fruiting bodies, along with superior antioxidant activity compared to that of C. militaris. In contrast, C. militaris mycelia demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects (which were absent in P. variotii mycelia) and cytotoxicity comparable to, and at times exceeding, that of its fruiting bodies (in contrast to P. variotii). In addition, the species analyzed in this study displayed variations in growth rates and mycelial production, which merit consideration for potential future applications and further study.

Plants synthesize antioxidant compounds as a defense mechanism against reactive oxygen species. Recently, plant-derived antioxidant compounds have attracted attention due to the increasing consumer awareness in the heath industry. However, traditional methods for measuring the antioxidant activity of these compounds are time-consuming and costly. Therefore, our study constructed a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model that can predict antioxidant activity using graph convolutional networks (GCN) from plant structural data. The accuracy (Acc) of the model reached 0.6 and the loss reached 0.03. Although with lower accuracy than previously reported QSAR models, our model showed the possibility of predicting DPPH antioxidant activity in a wide range of plant compounds (phenolics, polyphenols, vitamins, etc.) based on their graph structure.

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) is a nucleoside analog known for its diverse range of biological activities. This study investigated the effect of different types of sawdust on the production of the bioactive compound cordycepin. The results of the study showed that different types of wood sawdust affected the biosynthesis of cordycepin and a significant increase was observed when the conventional SDB medium was replaced with 1% NaOH treated pine sawdust. To optimize cordycepin production from Paecilomyces tenuipes in a medium containing 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust, we employed Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in its Box-Behnken design (BBD) canonical form. The optimal conditions were determined as follows: a particle size of 109.5111-mesh (140 m) for 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust, an input weight of 21.1679 g/L, and an incubation time of 73.8423 hours. According to our model, this combination is expected to yield a maximum cordycepin content of 896.1428 g/mL. Experimental validation of this prediction was performed using the suggested optimal conditions, resulting in an average cordycepin content of 922.6771 g/mL across three replicates, thus confirming the model's accuracy.

Roridin E, a constituent of Podostroma cornu-damae, has excellent medicinal properties and exhibits powerful anticancer effects. However, being a poisonous mushroom, P. cornu-damae is difficult to find in its natural environment. Therefore, only a limited amount of roridin E is isolated from P. cornu-damae. We isolated roridin E from mycelial culture medium of P. cornu-damae and examined its effects on five breast cancer cell lines. The purity of the isolated roridin E was 96%. It exhibited anticancer effects on all five breast cancer cell lines, with an IC50 of at least 0.0006 mg/L. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the investigation of effects of roridin E isolated from the mycelium of P. cornu-damae mushrooms on five breast cancer cell lines. However, safety issues should be investigated and addressed in future studies before roridin E is used in clinical settings.

This study aimed to verify the whitening effect of Cordyceps militaris, which is distributed in several countries worldwide, including Korea, Japan, and China, and has various medical effects. To screen the efficacy of C. militaris, the inhibitory activity of tyrosinase, which was 66% at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, was measured. Thereafter, the survival rate of melanoma cells was measured, and cell experiments were conducted at a concentration of 90% or more in which C. militaris was not toxic to cells. After measuring the inhibitory effect of TRP-1, TRP-2, tyrosinase protein, and mRNA expression, which are factors influencing melanin synthesis, C. militaris was found to decrease in all factors, with an expression level that was significantly lower compared to quercetin. This confirmed that C. militaris stimulated with LED has excellent whitening activity and can be used as a functional whitening cosmetics material.

Cordyceps militaris mycelium extracts containing high amounts of cordycepin were evaluated in vitro for their antiinflammatory and tumor cell growth-inhibitory activities. All extracts dose dependently inhibited the increased production of inflammatory mediators including reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and β-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory cells. All extracts were evaluated for anti-proliferative activity against normal RBL-2H3 cells and diverse types of cancer cell lines, including HCT, MC5-7, U-87MG, AGS, and A549 cells. The extract showed the strongest growth inhibition (IC50 = 28.13 μg/mL) relative to vehicle-treated control cells against fibrosarcoma (MC5-7). We have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity of C. militaris via inhibition of NO, ROS production, and β-hexosaminidase release in activated cells. C. militaris mycelium extract was also evaluated mechanistically and found to exert six types of anti-cancer activity, confirming its pharmacological potential. Our study suggests C. militaris use as a potential source of anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents. C. militaris may also be considered a functional food.

Plant-derived compounds have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory abilities contained inhibited β-hexosaminidase, ROS and NO release. Essential oils are natural volatile complex compounds that are characterized by a strong scent and produced by aromatic plants as various plant-derived compounds. The essential oil extracted from Zanthoxylum coreanum Nakai (Z. coreanum) has various functional properties; however, little information is available regarding its anti-allergic inflammatory. A total of 17 compounds were detected in Z. coreanum oil, and the main component was estragole (50.86%). The tested Z. coreanum oil and estragole statistically inhibited the release of β-hexosaminidase induced by antigen stimulation in RBL-2H3 cells. This Z. coreanum oil and estragole may stimulate the secretion of active oxygen (ROS) or nitric oxide (NO) which are considered to involved in anti-inflammatory events. Moreover, it is suggested that Z. coreanum oil and estragole may negatively control the production of SNARE proteins (VAMP7) at the tran-scriptional and translational levels in common. These results demonstrate that Z. coreanum oil and its major component, estragole, possess potent anti-inflammatory abilities that are coupled with antioxidant properties.

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.

Gabion was unfavorable to the reconstruction of the landscape caused by limit plant growth because of commonly filled with stone. Therefore, gabion was need substrate as possible to plant growth for harmonize with the surroundings and prevent of erosion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of substrates based growing media containing wood meal on physical property (moisture content), chemical properties (organic matter and C/N ratio), plant cover and plant species in gabion. The substrates were composed of soil and soil mixed with growing media (9:1 (v/v) and 4:1 (v/v)). The growing media was prepared by mixing the basic materials, such as peat, perlite, with the specific materials, such as steam treated wood meal (Quercus mongolica) and NH4NO3. Field experiments were carried out on a damaged forest slope, South Korea, from January to November. The results, the moisture content of soil mixed with growing media (4:1, v/v) was maintained high value than others during the thermophilic period and consistently high organic matter which at an advantage for long term plant growth for 11 months. We were confirmed soil mixed with growing media (4:1, v/v) was an advantage to keep C/N ratio for plant growth period. The growing media based substrates has high plant cover percentage and advantage to plant growth for long term. And to conclude, in general the project is a success considering that few repairs or follow up will be necessary. This technique offers a solution to create a better harmony with the surrounding environment.

In this study, we investigated the effect of solid culture medium on the production of cordycepin in Cordyceps militaris. The regression equation was expressed as follows: Y1= 755.3-58.6625X1+4.79432E-14X2-46.6625X3-5.66269E-14X1X2- 0.025X1X3+1.62475E-14X2X3-160.6625X1 2+0.0125X2 2-206.9625X3 2, where, Y represents the value of cordycepin content (μg/g), X1 corresponds to the weight of M. alternatus in solid culture medium (g/bottle), X2 to the water content of the solid culture medium (%), and X3 to the culture period (day). The solid culture medium was optimized using the response surface methodology, and the optimal medium composition was as follows: the weight of M. alternatus in solid culture medium and water content were 16.2% and 100.7% (20.14 mL water/20 g solid culture medium), respectively, with a culture period of 39 days. Under these conditions, the cordycepin content of the fruiting bodies reached 150.0 μg/g (actual value). The supplementation of M. alternatus in solid culture for improved cordycepin content of C. militaris seems to be a promising alternative to wild and solid cultivation.

Roridin E, produced by Podostroma cornu-damae, is a mycotoxin with anticancer activity. To increase the content of roridin E, submerged culture conditions were optimized using response surface methodology. Three factors, namely, medium initial pH, incubation time and agitation speed were optimized using a Box–Behnken design. The optimum submerged culture conditions to increase the content of roridin E included a medium with an initial pH of 4.0, an incubation time of 12.90 days, and an agitation speed of 63.03 rpm. The roridin E content in the submerged culture, under the aforementioned conditions, was 40.26 mg/L. The findings of this study can help lower the current price of roridin E and promote its related research.

Yield and fruit size are under the control of many interacting factors and crop failures can be caused by climatic extremes and poor flowering. Nevertheless, this study has shown that mulching, through the creation of improved soil properties and reduced environmental stress, has the potential to substantially increase A. arguta fruit size and yield. The mulched site performed better than the site without mulch in reducing soil temperature, increasing soil moisture and controlling available phosphorus. Moreover, mulching improved both yield and fruit size. In light of this, we hope that the results of our research will provide useful information for the cultivation of A. arguta in South Korea. However, it also seems necessary to conduct research on the use of different types of mulch and on the economic profitability of mulch in the future.

The choice of the culture medium is an important factor for the mass production of mycelia in submerged cultures. The influence of liquid medium on the mycelial dry weight of Paecilomyces tenuipes was investigated in this study. The regression equation is expressed as Y=-1292.94187+17.78612X1+18.92425X2+2.11464X3-0.019375X1X2-0.006276X1X3+0.008177X2X3- 0.070169X1 2-0.292175X2 2-0.008818X3 2, where Y represents the value of the mycelial dry weight (g/L), X1 is the particle size of wood sawdust in liquid medium (mesh), X2 is the concentration of the wood sawdust in liquid medium, and X3 is incubation time (h). The medium was optimized using a response surface methodology, and the optimal medium contained 30 g of wood sawdust (140 mesh), 20 g of glucose, and 10 g/L of peptone. Under these conditions, the mycelial dry weight reached 38.1 g/L (actual value). The culture medium containing wood sawdust is simple and easy to use, highly efficient, and eco-friendly, and its effectiveness in large preparations of P. tenuipes mycelia with low material costs has been demonstrated.

Soil properties are important environmental conditions affecting fruit quality and yield in new cultivars of Actinidia arguta. The yield of three A. arguta cultivars (cv. Autumn Sense, cv. Chungsan, and cv. Greenball) from Wonju city, South Korea was investigated from 2017 to 2019 and the relationships to soil properties are discussed. The yield of cv. Autumn Sense, cv. Chungsan, and cv. Greenball fruits ranged from 6.8 to 24.5, 14.0 to 29.0, and 10.5 to 38.5 kg/vine. cv. Autumn Sense had the highest soil organic matter content and soil C/N ratio over the three-year period. The yield of A. arguta fruits was positively correlated with soil C/N ratio and could be described by a power model (y = axb), suggesting that soil C/N ratio plays an important role in limiting the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of organic matter in A. arguta fruits. In addition, C/N ratio in the soil was influenced by the soil available phosphate. However, the threshold of the C/N ratio for A. arguta fruit differed according to cultivar, and especially the lowest threshold was observed in cv. Chungsan. Therefore, the application of an appropriate C/N ratio depending on the cultivar is required for improved fruit yield. Our results present the soil properties required to increase the yield of the new A. arguta cultivars in South Korea.

The road slopes have various problems such as the risk of landslides and soil erosion, and research on stabilizing road slopes using plant greening has attracted the most attention. The overall objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of woody biomass based growing media on plant germination in a slope area. Moreover, we tried to find out what physicochemical properties of growing media affect plant germination on a slope. For experiment, we tested soil, soil mixed with growing media (1:1, w/w), and growing media by itself. Physical and chemical properties were evaluated after a month from the date of treatment application to the experimental slope site. Plant germination of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya was measured for plant growth evaluation. Physicochemical properties were altered by mixing the soil with growing media. Particularly, moisture content, organic matter and C/N ratio were significantly changed in soils mixed with growing media compared to soil alone. We confirmed that plant germination was high when growing media was mixed with the soil. There was a significant linear relationship between particle density and pH of all media tested and plant germination. In addition, in the same trend, the principal component analysis confirmed that the particle density and pH was positive component for plant germination rate, and the C/N ratio was found to be the negative component for plant germination. In conclusion, the particle density, pH and C/N ratio of the soil mixed with growing media was considered effective for plant germination in the experimental slope site, and this wood-based growing media provides a means to improve the harmony between the slope and the surrounding environment.