Cordyceps is a genus of fungi from the Cordycipitaceae family that grows using host insects as the nutritional source. This genus comprises approximately 500 species worldwide. In the present study, culturing 16 species from 3 genuses of Chu-Soh, namely, Cordyceps, Ophiocordyceps, and Isaria, were successfully artificially cultured We then specifically investigated the antitumor effects of Ophiocordyceps pulvinata on human cancer cells. Secondary metabolites of O. pulvinata (OP-FD) showed a significant antiproliferative effect on breast cancer and leukemia cells at low concentrations but not on gastric and pancreatic cancer cells at the same concentrations. Virtually no effect was observed in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) cells. As OP-FD did not lose antitumor activity on heating, further fractionation with organic solvents was conducted to investigate the antitumor effects. | Ophiocordyceps pulvinata induces caspase-dependent apoptosis through mitochondrial impairment in human leukemia cells
