Exploring the anti-hepatosteatosis activity of Cordyceps militaris

Researchers from South Korea have found that Cordyceps militaris can potentially be used to treat hepatosteatosis. Their findings were published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

• Hepatosteatosis — a condition wherein lipid droplets accumulate in the liver — is considered a progressive disease.
• In this study, the team looked at the ability of fermented C. militaris extract (CME) to prevent hepatosteatosis using AML-12 hepatocytes.
• The team noted that Pediococcus pentosaceus ON188 (ON188E) reduced the levels of adenosine and cordycepin in the extracts of C. militaris grown on germinated soybean and in the fermented C. militaris grown on germinated soybeans. However, treatment with ON188E and the latter upregulated the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes in a dose-dependent manner.
• ON188E also downregulated the lipogenic gene stearoyl Coenzyme A desaturase 1 and reduced the formation of intracellular lipid droplets to levels observed in WY14643-treated cells.
• After treatment with ON188E, the team noted an upregulation in sphingosine kinase 2 — which is mainly responsible for hepatic sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) synthesis — and elevated levels of S1P.

In sum, fermented C. militaris extract was able to activate fatty acid oxidation through the elevation of S1P synthesis, making it a potential treatment for hepatosteatosis.

Journal Reference:

Tran NKS, Kim GT, Lee DY, Kim YJ, Park HJ, Park DK, Park TS. FERMENTED CORDYCEPS MILITARIS EXTRACT AMELIORATES HEPATOSTEATOSIS VIA ACTIVATION OF FATTY ACID OXIDATION. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2019;22(4):325–336. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2018.4245