Cordycepin, or 3′-deoxyadenosine, is a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine. It is a bioactive compound that can be extracted from various species of the Cordyceps fungus, including Cordyceps militaris and Hirsutella sinensis(an artificial fermentation mycelium of ophiocordyceps sinensis).
It needs to be pointed out in particular is that the test shows the fruiting body of natual ophiocordyceps sinensis doesn’t has cordycepin,but it has high content of heavy metals, especially Arsenic.
The process of extraction for cordycepin can be done through the following steps:
1. Selection of fungal species: The first step is to select the appropriate species of the Cordyceps fungus for extraction. Cordyceps militaris is often preferred because it contains higher levels of cordycepin than other species. Hirsutella is too expensive to make extraction. So cordyceps militaris is the first choice so far.
2.Cultivation of the fungus: The cordyceps militaris is cultivated in a controlled environment to ensure optimal growth and cordycepin production. This may involve growing the fungus on a substrate, such as rice or soybean, under specific conditions of temperature, humidity, and light.
We usually select the initial content of cordycepin in a range of 0.1-0.3% (it needs particular substrates , rice and soybean powder ) . Normally, the cordyceps militaris by the substrates of wheat bran only has 0.05% cordycepin or even less.
3.Harvesting and drying: Once the fungus has reached maturity, it is harvested and dried to remove excess moisture.
4. Extraction of cordycepin: The dried fungal material is then ground into a fine powder and subjected to extraction using a suitable solvent. Cordycepin can be soluble in both water and ethanol solution.We generally use water extraction because it shows better cost performance and easy to control.
The point of water extraction to get cordycepin is to control the temperature under a specified value , normally under 70 degree centigrade. Otherwise,it will be hydrolyzed easily.
5.Purification: The resulting crude extract is then purified using various methods such as chromatography, precipitation, or crystallization to isolate the cordycepin compound.
In our facility, we use chromatography(cationic resin) to make high content of cordycepin from 5% to 95% (this is the maximum number we have made so far)
Generally, cordycepin from 0.5%-3% is not required to be purified.
6.Analysis and testing: The final product is analyzed and tested for purity, potency, and quality to ensure it meets the desired specifications.
So overall, the extraction process includes: Water extaction, Filtration, Concentration, Purification, Drying, Sieving, and Metal detection.
The testing of cordycepin is quite well established. Briefly, to use HPLC with the reference sample of Cordycepin. The most common columns used for cordycepin separation are C18 columns with a particle size of 3-5 µm and a length of 150-250 mm. Drop us an email if you want to know more about it .
One more thing , the substrates after cordyceps militaris’ fruiting body are harvested also contains a small number of cordycepin. So the extract of it can have 0.2-0.5% cordycepin.
Post time:May-16-2023