Enhanced production of Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies using brown rice substrates for therapeutic purposes

Cordyceps militaris commonly known as ‘Kida jadi’ in India is a rare entomopathogenic fungus that is typically found at high elevations on the Himalayan plateau. It is widely recognised as a therapeutic mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine. Cordyceps possesses wild range of bioactive constituents, with cordycepin being particularly noteworthy for its significant medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Fruiting bodies in industrial production are grown on synthetic substrates, however, their productivity and values are typically influenced by the quality of the fungal strains. This study examined the impact of the growth rate of fungal strains and repeated subculturing effect was measured. Prepared brown rice substrates were infested with C. militaris inoculum and subsequently cultivated using optimised culture patterns. Throughout the cultivation process, the harvested samples, which are the fruiting bodies, were subjected to drying, resulting in a substantial yield. The findings indicated that the use of brown rice substrate promotes the growth of Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies, resulting in a remarkable yield increase of 313%.