Efficacy of Cordyceps militaris Extracts against Some Skin Pathogenic Bacteria and Antioxidant Activity

Dopamine-grafted oxidized hyaluronic acid/gelatin/cordycepin nanofiber membranes modulate the TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway to promote diabetic wound healing

Due to impaired immune function, diabetic wounds are highly susceptible to the development of excessive inflammatory responses and prolonged recurrent bacterial infections that impede diabetic wound healing. Therefore, it is necessary to design and develop a wound dressing that controls bacterial infection and inhibits excessive inflammatory response. In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) was modified using dopamine (DA). Subsequently, cordycepin (COR) was loaded into dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid (OHDA)/gelatin (GEL) nanofiber wound dressing by electrostatic spinning technique. The constructed COR/OHDA/GEL nanofiber membrane has good thermal stability, hydrophilicity, and air permeability. In vitro experiments showed that the obtained COR/OHDA/GEL nanofiber membranes had good antimicrobial efficacy (S. aureus: 95.60 ± 0.99 %, E. coli: 71.17 ± 6.87 %), antioxidant activity (>90 %), and biocompatibility. In vivo experiments showed that COR/OHDA/GEL nanofiber membranes could promote wound tissue remodeling, collagen deposition, and granulation tissue regeneration. Western blot experiments showed that COR/OHDA/GEL nanofibrous membranes could inhibit the excessive inflammatory response of wounds through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, COR/OHDA/GEL nanofiber membranes could promote diabetic wound healing by modulating the inflammatory response. The results showed that the designed nanofiber wound dressing is expected to provide a new strategy for treating chronic wounds.

Four novel Pleurocordyceps (Polycephalomycetaceae) species from China

Entomopathogenic fungi comprise an ecologically important group of specialized pathogens infecting other fungi, invertebrates, and plants. These fungi are species-rich with high diversity and broad distribution worldwide. The majority of entomopathogenic fungi belong to clavicipitoids, which consist of the hypocrealean families, Clavicipitaceae, Cordycipitaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae, and Polycephalomycetaceae. The latter is a newly established entomopathogenic family that recently separated from the family Ophiocordycipitaceae to accommodate the genera, Perennicordyceps, Pleurocordyceps, and Polycephalomyces. In recent years, Polycephalomycetaceae has been enriched with parasitic and hyperparasitic fungi. With 16 species spread across China, Ecuador, Japan, and Thailand, Pleurocordyceps is the most speciose genus in the family. In this study, we expand the number of taxa in the genus by introducing four new Pleurocordyceps species from China, namely, P. clavisynnema, P. multisynnema, P. neoagarica, and P. sanduensis. We provide detailed descriptions and illustrations and infer genus-level phylogenies based on a combined 6-loci gene sequence dataset comprising the internal transcribed spacer gene region (ITS), small subunit ribosomal RNA gene region (SSU), large subunit rRNA gene region (LSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene region (TEF-1α), RNA polymerase II largest subunit gene region (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2). This study contributes to knowledge with regard to the diversity of Pleurocordyceps specifically and entomopathogenic Hypocreales more broadly.

Antioxidant, Anti-Tyrosinase, and Anti-Skin Pathogenic Bacterial Activities and Phytochemical Compositions of Corn Silk Extracts, and Stability of Corn Silk Facial Cream Product

Zea mays L. Poaceae stigma (corn silk, CS) is a byproduct of agricultural waste and is used as a traditional herb in many countries. CS is rich in chemical compounds known to benefit human health and is also a remedy for infectious diseases and has anti-proliferative effects on human cancer cell lines. In the present study, CS extract has been evaluated for its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-tyrosinase activities and its phytochemical composition. The higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found in the ethanolic extract of corn silk (CSA), at 28.27 ± 0.86 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract and 4.71 ± 0.79 mg quercetin equivalent/g extract, respectively. Moreover, the antioxidant content of CSA was found at 5.22 ± 0.87 and 13.20 ± 0.42 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract using DPPH and reducing power assays. Furthermore, the ethanolic extract of corn silk showed tyrosinase inhibition with an IC50 value of 12.45 µg/mL. The bacterial growth inhibition of CSA was tested using agar disc diffusion and broth dilution assays against Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis. It was found that CSA inhibited C. acnes and S. epidermidis with an inhibition zone of 11.7 ± 1.2 and 9.3 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. Moreover, the CSA showed MIC/MBC of 15.625 mg/mL against C. acnes. The following phytochemical compounds were detected in CSA: cardiac glycosides; n-hexadecanoic acid; hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester; oleic acid; and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, ethyl ester. After the corn silk cream product was formulated, the product demonstrated stability without phase separation. This research is beneficial for promoting effective ways to use agricultural waste while utilizing the antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and antibacterial activities of corn silk. Moreover, the use of technology and innovation to obtain high-value CS extract will benefit the development of commercial cosmetic products by providing safe, natural, and quality ingredients to the consumer.

Natural Compounds of Fungal Origin with Antimicrobial Activity-Potential Cosmetics Applications

The phenomenon of drug resistance in micro-organisms necessitates the search for new compounds capable of combating them. Fungi emerge as a promising source of such compounds as they produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with bacteriostatic or fungistatic activity. These compounds can serve as alternatives for commonly used antibiotics. Furthermore, fungi also accumulate compounds with antiviral activity. This review focuses on filamentous fungi and macrofungi as sources of antimicrobial compounds. The article describes both individual isolated compounds and extracts that exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity. These compounds are produced by the fruiting bodies and mycelium, as well as the biomass of mycelial cultures. Additionally, this review characterizes the chemical compounds extracted from mushrooms used in the realm of cosmetology; specifically, their antimicrobial activity.

Bioactive compounds from Cordyceps and their therapeutic potential

The Clavicipitaceae family's largest and most diverse genus is Cordyceps. They are most abundant and diverse in humid temperate and tropical forests and have a wide distribution in: Europe, North America, and East and Southeast Asian countries, particularly: Bhutan, China, Japan, Nepal, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Tibet, and the Himalayan region of India, and Sikkim. It is a well-known parasitic fungus that feeds on insects and other arthropods belonging to 10 different orders. Over 200 bioactive metabolites, that include: nucleotides and nucleosides, polysaccharides, proteins, polypeptides, amino acids, sterols, and fatty acids, among others have been extracted from Cordyceps spp. demonstrating the phytochemical richness of this genus. These components have been associated with a variety of pharmacological effects, including: anti-microbial, anti-apoptotic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities. In this paper, the bioactivity of various classes of metabolites produced by Cordyceps spp., and their therapeutic properties have been reviewed in an attempt to update the existing literature. Furthermore, one of its nucleoside and a key bioactive compound, cordycepin has been critically elaborated with regard to its biosynthesis pathway and the recently proposed protector-protégé mechanism as well as various biological and pharmacological effects, such as: suppression of purine and nucleic acid biosynthesis, induction of apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation with their mechanism of action. This review provides current knowledge on the bioactive potential of Cordyceps spp.

Efficacy of Green Extracting Solvents on Antioxidant, Xanthine Oxidase, and Plant Inhibitory Potentials of Solid-Based Residues (SBRs) of Cordyceps militaris

Solid-based residues (SBRs) of Cordyceps militaris are often considered as waste after the cultivation of the fruiting body. To demonstrate the value of this by-product, different ratios of two favorable green solvents (EtOH and water) were employed to optimize the yields of cordycepin (Cor) and adenosine (Ado) and investigate relevant activities of plant growth inhibition (allelopathy), antioxidants, and xanthine oxidase. The SBR extracts of 60% EtOH-40% water (W4) and 40% EtOH-60% water (W6) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity as well as yielded the optimum content of Cor and Ado. The W4 and Wt (hot water) exhibited maximum inhibitory effects on the growth of Raphanus sativus (radish), Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and two noxious weeds, Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass) and Bidens pilosa (beggarticks). Furthermore, GC-MS scan analysis revealed the presence of 14 major compounds in the SBRs. W4 is the best solvent to optimize yields of Cor and Ado, as well as having the strongest levels of antioxidant activity, xanthine oxidase, and growth-inhibitory activity. This study reveals that SBRs are a potential source of medicinal and agricultural utilization.