Cordycepin, also known as 3′-deoxyadenosine, belongs to purine alkaloids. Cordycepin is one of the active ingredients of Chinese traditional medicine Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris, and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, immune regulation and antioxidant effects. It can also be used to treat diseases of the lungs, kidneys, and stomach, and as a nutritional supplement.
Antibacterial and antiviral
As a nucleoside antibiotic, cordycepin has multiple regulatory effects on pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Due to the short half-life and short duration of action of cordycepin, researchers can prepare cordycepin into a sustained-release preparation to prolong the action time in the body and improve the way of maintaining the efficacy of multiple administrations and continuous administration.
antitumor effect
In terms of anti-tumor, cordycepin can effectively inhibit the proliferation of mouse S180 tumor, intraoral squamous tumor, melanoma and human cervical cancer cells, and can treat leukemia.
Cordycepin has a free hydroxyl group, which can penetrate into the DNA of tumor cells to act; cordycepin can inhibit the phosphorylation of nucleosides or nucleotides, generate diphosphate and triphosphate derivatives, and inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acid in tumor cells ; Cordycepin may block the amination of inosine nucleotides to guanylate; Cordycepin can be incorporated into RNA. Fundamentally, the anti-tumor effect of cordycepin is related to its inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis. Cordycepin can be used as an auxiliary drug for anti-tumor drugs to improve the efficacy of anti-tumor drugs; finally, as a natural source of anti-tumor active ingredients, cordycepin has high safety.
Anti-inflammatory
Cordycepin can regulate nervous system diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, by inhibiting inflammatory responses. Cordycepin can effectively inhibit the excessive production of NO, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. It can be used as a candidate for the development of high-efficiency and low-toxicity anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. Cordycepin has certain potential in the treatment of allergic skin diseases.
boost immunity
Cordycepin can inhibit cell division, promote cell differentiation, change the distribution of material structure on the cell membrane, and promote the transformation of T lymphocytes. It can also improve the phagocytic function of the body's monocyte-macrophage system, activate macrophages to produce cytotoxins and directly kill cancer cells. Cordycepin can also inhibit the activity of protein kinases, resist the cleavage of sugars by nucleoside phosphorylase, and inhibit body fluids. Immune regulation. Cordycepin can also play a role in two-way immune regulation, which can produce immune regulation by improving cellular immune function.
hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering
Cordycepin has hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering effects, and also has a certain regulatory effect on diseases related to blood sugar and blood lipids, such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Cordycepin has a lipid-lowering effect. Its mechanism of action: ① regulates body weight by mediating the secretion of prolactin through adenosine A1 receptors; ② converts into cordycepin monophosphate, activates adenylate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and promotes lipid Decompose and inhibit lipid synthesis; ③ reduce the expression of lipid droplet-related genes Fsp27 and Perilipin1, thereby inhibiting fat droplet synthesis and inducing fat droplet degradation; ④ promoting brown adipose tissue transformation or white adipose tissue browning to increase energy consumption.
The use of natural herbal medicines has been on the rise in recent years. Cordycepin, as one of the main active components in Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris, has attracted the attention of many scientists because it can be obtained through various cultivation techniques and has unlimited potential for development. It is also an excellent biologically active metabolite. Currently, The research on the anticancer effect of cordycepin has progressed rapidly, and more and more mechanisms of action have been discovered, which also provides new ideas and theoretical foundations for the development of anticancer drugs in the future.
