title: Comparisons on enhancing the immunity of fresh and dry Cordyceps militaris in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immunomodulatory capacities of fresh Cordyceps militaris (FCM) and dry Cordyceps militaris (DCM) were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo immunomodulatory assay, different doses of FCM and DCM were orally administrated over a period of 15 days in a cyclophosphamide (CY) induced immunosuppression mice; in vitro testing, the spleen cells were extracted from healthy mice and treaded with CY, then cultured with different dose of FCM or DCM; the contents of Cordyceps militaris polysaccharide (CMP), cordycepin, adenosine, total polyphenol (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) in FCM and DCM were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our studys indicated that, FCM was significantly stronger than DCM on increasing the spleen and thymus indexes, spleen lymphocyte activity, macrophage function, and promoting the levels of IL-2, IFN-γ in vivo and in vitro. The contents of immunomodulatory CMP and TF in FCM were markedly higher than in DCM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All these results suggested that FCM was superior to DCM on enhancing immunity.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou 239012, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shuang-Jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ze-Yu
authors.forename: Jun-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D032661:Cordyceps / Q000737:chemistry*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Dry Cordyceps militaris; Flavonoid; Fresh Cordyceps militaris; Immunomodulatory; Polysaccharide