Vietnam produces cordyceps

The Plant Protection Institute has just announced the successful study of Cordyceps fungus, a rare and valuable medicinal herb with the ability to enhance the body's anti-cancer capabilities.

>>>The unknown thing about the "deep-grass" species of billions of silver

During a visit to a US Cancer Prevention Center working on cordyceps fungus, the scientific group of the Center for Biological Fighting (Plant Protection Institute) said that Vietnam could also create fungi. This and from 2011 the Center started to implement and has been successful so far.

Many people believe that cordyceps is a special organism, in the form of insects in the winter, and in the summer, it turns into a grass so it has its name. However, according to scientific circles, cordyceps is a common name for a group of parasitic fungi and causes disease on insects. At the end of autumn and early winter, they parasitic disease on insects. In the summer, when the temperature rises, the fungus arises into fruit, growing into a plant form.

Cordyceps are cultured on silkworm host hosts.(Photo: Pham Nha)

In the world, Cordyceps in the wild are rare, mainly at 3,200 meters in the Himalayas and Tibet regions. Each year the yield is only 80kg so the price is very high from 1.2 to 1.6 billion VND per kg. In Hanoi market, Cordyceps fungus is mainly cultivated.

The scientific group of the Plant Protection Institute has imported the mushroom variety with the cost of more than 1,000 USD per sample for breeding and research.

Dr. Pham Van Nha, a member of the research team, said that cordyceps contains a lot of high nutritional values, in which the group focuses on two main compounds, Cordycepin, which has the function of preventing fibrosis and precancerous. and Adenosine is a cardiovascular treatment.

After returning to the breed, the group focused on research on aquaculture technology, in-depth study of nutritional environment components; impact factors such as ecology, weather, temperature, light; thereby creating suitable laboratory conditions for fungal growth.

Scientists cultivate Cordyceps Cordyceps by two methods in artificial environment of mass human and feed directly on the host is silkworm pupae."With the host is silkworm pupae, we can actively supply and it is an insect that makes food for humans, so it does not cause harm," he said.

In an artificial environment, there are two main nutritional components that are the nutritional fungus of Cordyceps fungus, and the base to support is usually brown rice. Scientists have disinfected the microorganisms outside, and then implanted the fungus fungus in the inside with a development time of 60-75 days to get the finished product.

Cordyceps is cultured on biomass medium.(Photo: Pham Nha)

In the culture environment on the host, the Plant Protection Institute uses live silkworm pupae and is located in a reputable facility that does not use chemicals. After the time of transplanting into the pupae, cordyceps will develop into a closed system inside the host and produce a system of fruiting bodies, the heads tassel outwards with a height of 4-5cm. The bright red color on the main fruit is the indicator of Cordycepin function to prevent fibroids.

Dr. Nha said, while the outside products are sold for one billion dong per kilogram, the Institute only sells 100-120 million / kg with products on the host; and in the form of artificial environment equivalent to 7 million VND / kg.

Experts warn, there are up to 70% of counterfeit cordyceps fungus in the market and objects using tricks are more sophisticated so it is difficult to distinguish real fake goods.