Abstract

The medicinal fungus Cordyceps is well-known as a potent source of metabolites and bioactivities and is indicated as long-traditional medicine in Asian countries.  As many Cordyceps species isolated in Vietnam have been reported, our previous publications indicated them as promising potentials. This study has provided more scientific evidence of their bioactivities including antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and XO inhibitory activity.

As results, screened Cordyceps strains possess antioxidant activity. The EtOAc extracts exhibited higher ABTS^.+ radical-scavenging activity than others. The high ABTS^.+ radical-scavenging activity includes EtOAc-DL0004, EtOAc-DL0038B, EtOAc-DL0075 with IC₅₀ values = 672.04 ± 6.00, 840.57 ± 1.33, and 806.45 ± 15.85 µg/ml, respectively. Besides, other significant IC₅₀ values of ABTS^.+ radical-scavenging activity were 709.22 ± 20.30 (BuOH-DL0050) and 766.87 ±15.25 (PS-DL0067) µg/ml, respectively. Among extracts, only PS extracts exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ value for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of PS-DL0038A, PS-DL0038B, and PS-DL0069 were 7,594.52 ± 251.21, 7,676.95 ± 181.05, and 5,080.28 ± 291.66, respectively. The strain DL0004 and DL0067 were able to inhibit C. albicans. Accordingly, the 500 µg of PE-DL0067 inhibited C. albicans with a 13 mm-inhibitory zones. Significantly, Cordyceps exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity. The EtOH- DL0038A, EtOH- DL0038B and EtOH- DL0077 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity with IC₅₀ values = 49.0 ± 0.4, 79.4 ± 4.0, and 38.74 ±1.3 µg/ml, respectively. Besides, the PE-DL0015, PE-DL0038A, PE-DL0038B, PE-DL0077 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity as well with IC₅₀ values = 90.8 ± 1.2, 25.6 ± 1.2, 52.7 ± 0.2, and 23.7 ± 1.6 µg/ml, respectively. Among screen strains, DL0077 showed the most potent anti-inflammatory activity, the IC₅₀ values of EtOH-DL0077, PE-DL0077, and EtOAc-DL0077 were 38.74 ±1.3, 23.7 ± 1.6, and 24.5 ± 2.9 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, the PE extract of DL0038B, the BuOH extracts of DL0038B and DL0050, and the PS extracts of DL0050 and DL0077 exhibited significant XO inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ value of PE-DL0038B was 189.48 ± 0.50 µg/ml. The IC₅₀ values of BuOH-DL0038B and BuOH-DL0050 were 267.90 ± 1.92 and 271.26 ± 4.24 µg/ml, respectively. The IC₅₀ values of PS-DL0050 and PS-DL0077 were 305.44 ± 0.91 and 140.01 ± 6.89 µg/ml, respectively.