Effects of Cordyceps militaris Extracts on Macrophage as Immune Conductors

Abstract

Although Cordyceps militaris is documented several medicinal functions, there is not enough for demonstration of leukocytic differentiation. Cordycepin and adenosine were 11.75 µg and 1.25 µg in the extract, respectively. Unlike the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in macrophages that were approximately 4 time and 48 times higher than the control under lipopolysaccharides (LPS), macrophages under the extract (1 μg/mL) showed 13- and 10-fold lower TNF-α and IL-1β levels than the LPS-treated cells. This was corroborated by flow cytometry, where their levels were 20 times and 14 times lower, respectively. Under the extract, the LPS-treated macrophages enhanced M2 polarization and attenuated M1 polarization. In addition, the extract also dose-dependently activated macrophage phagocytosis. Under the extract conditioned medium, dendritic cells (DCs) were strongly differentiated toward CD11b+ and Xcr1+ cells because their densities were 13.6 times and 6.26 times higher than those in the LPS conditioned medium, respectively. Differentiation of Treg and natural killer T-like (NKTL) cells also were increased about 1.67 times and 6.73 times than those in the LPS conditioned medium, respectively. These results suggest that the C. militaris extract has strong effects on the modulation of macrophages and dendritic cells and T cells under inflammatory stress.