Yartsa Gunbu - Cordyceps sinensis. Economy - Home
Yartsa Gunbu - Cordyceps sinensis. Economy - Home Yartsa Gunbu - Cordyceps sinensis. Economy - Home
very successfully protecting their traditions, while Lithang was much earlier impacted by Chinese imperial policy 3 . CHONGCAO IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Cordyceps sinensis is known as dōngchóng xiàcăo, “winter worm-summer grass”, clearly the literal translation of the Tibetan name. Commonly it is just referred to as chóngcăo, “worm-grass”. In TCM it was first recorded in Wu Yiluo’s “Ben cao cong xin” [“New compilation of materia medica”] in 1757 (Zhu, Halpern & Jones, 1998) 4 . However, Chinese doctors had learned about the healing power of Cordyceps sinensis earlier. Already in 1736 the Jesuit Du Halde describes how the Emperor’s physician at the Court in China treated him successfully with “Hia Tsao Tong Tchong”. Du Halde mentions the fact that it is hard to “procure” and that its value is four times its weight in silver. It can be taken as a food ingredient, traditionally as a stuffing of duck, chicken or pork, as a soup ingredient, or ground up. Cordyceps tastes agreeable and I would describe it as primarily fungal without much difference in taste between the fruiting body and the former body of the larva. The recommended daily dosage is 3-9 g (Yao & Zhang, 1996), which would cost about 75-350 RMB [$9-$43] in 2003 retail prices, making it an extremely costly treatment. In general chongcao is used as a tonic in TCM to strengthen the system and regain energy, somewhat similar to the tonic functions of ginseng (Panax spp.). Liu (1994) summarizes chongcao’s healing capacity as a tonic to enhance vitality. Its main TCM applications are for treating exhaustion, TB, asthma, back pain and reproductive issues (i.e. premature ejaculation). Its use as an aphrodisiac seems to be the driving force with male consumers in China, a fact Tibetan informants liked to comment on, pointing out that they have no need to take Cordyceps. The development of new drugs addressing erectile dysfunction might reduce the demand for Cordyceps 5 . MYCOLOGY - CORDYCEPS AND ITS HOSTS 3 Lithang had a small Chinese garrison since 1720, but direct Chinese control was not imposed until 1906, when General Zhao Erfeng’s armies quelled the 1905 rebellion in Kham against Chinese rule (Adshead, 1984). 4 There is a recent claim (Halpern, 1999) that Cordyceps sinensis was already mentioned in TCM texts from the Tang Dynasty (8 th Century). However, this claim could not be substantiated. 5 Luckily these new drugs also might ease the pressure on the dwindling wild populations of tiger and rhinos commonly used for virility issues in Chinese communities. 4
Cordyceps is an entomophagous (feeding on insect) flask fungus (Pyrenomycetes, Ascomycotina) in the family Clavicipitaceae 6 . There are 300 to 400 species of Cordyceps (Sung, 2004), of which 68 species have been recorded in China (Wang, 1999); 33 species have been recognized in the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan region (Zang & Kinjo, 1998). Cordyceps species parasitize insects, spiders, and sometimes deer truffles (Elaphomyces, a hypogeous ascomycetous fungus). Only a few are collected for their medicinal properties. Most commonly used among these is Cordyceps sinensis. Several other species are also referred to as chongcao in TCM, such as Cordyceps militaris, which is widely distributed in North America and Eurasia (Arora, 1986), as well as Cordyceps ophioglossoides, C. sobolifera, C. liangshanensis and C. cicadicola (UNW, 1996). However, no other species is considered as powerful as Cordyceps sinensis, or is as costly (Chen et al., 2002). Zang & Kinjo (1998) have described several distinct species so far clustered under C. sinensis: C. gansuensis, C. kangdingensis and C. nepalensis. In this article C. sinensis will be used sensu lato. There will be no further differentiation of C. sinensis from the apparently very similar newly recognized alpine species. Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. parasitizes a range of grass root-boring caterpillars, which would hatch as whitish ghost moths, when not attacked by Cordyceps. The normal reproductive cycle for Thitarodes (Hepialus) takes up to five years; most of the life cycle is lived as a caterpillar, the moth itself living for only a short time, 2-5 days in the case of H. biruensis (Chen et al., 2002). As many other ghost moths, the adult Thitarodes moth is not able to eat. So far, the host for C. sinensis most commonly reported is Thitarodes armoricanus (Oberthür) Ueda, Hepialidae, Lepidoptera. Other host larvae have been identified, such as Hepialus oblifurcus Chu & Wang (Gao et al., 1992), H. baimaensis Liang and H. biruensis Fu Huang & Chen (Chen et al., 2002). All in all, nearly 40 species of Thitarodes (Hepialus) moths are recognized in the Tibetan Plateau region and, according to Chen et al., 30 species can be infected by Cordyceps sinensis. Chinese entomologists are still using the generic name Hepialus, although it has been restricted to a single European species – Hepialus humuli – for some thirty years. The genus Thitarodes was erected in 1968 to accommodate Hepialus armoricanus and other related species placed originally in Hepialus (Nielsen et al., 2000), many of them the host for Cordyceps sinensis. 6 Clavicipitaceae also contain Claviceps purpurea – wheat ergot, from which lysergic acid is derived (Arora, 1986). It is interesting to note that Cordyceps ophioglossoides is used by indigenous healers as a neurotropic in Mexico (Guzman et al., 1998). 5
- Page 1 and 2: Daniel Winkler Yartsa gunbu - Cordy
- Page 3: The first mentioning of yartsa gunb
- Page 7 and 8: DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY Cordyceps
- Page 9 and 10: proliferates on well-drained sunny
- Page 11 and 12: HISTORY OF TRADE Many early western
- Page 13 and 14: Lithang, prices are 5% to 10% lower
- Page 15 and 16: some moisture when coming onto the
- Page 17 and 18: RMB per capita in 1998 (com. Distri
- Page 19 and 20: documented in recent price increase
- Page 21 and 22: price for an average yartsa varies
- Page 23 and 24: either. In short, no widespread dis
- Page 25 and 26: Xizang Zizhiqu Dituce (Atlas of Tib
- Page 27 and 28: He S. A. & Sheng N., 1995 - Utiliza
- Page 29 and 30: Shelton A. L., 1921 - Life among th
- Page 31 and 32: g.Yu thog yon tan mgon po, 2002 - b
<strong>Cordyceps</strong> is an entomophagous (feeding on insect) flask fungus (Pyrenomycetes,<br />
Ascomycotina) in the family Clavicipitaceae 6 . There are 300 to 400 species of <strong>Cordyceps</strong> (Sung,<br />
2004), of which 68 species have been recorded in China (Wang, 1999); 33 species have been<br />
recognized in the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan region (Zang & Kinjo, 1998). <strong>Cordyceps</strong><br />
species parasitize insects, spiders, and sometimes deer truffles (Elaphomyces, a hypogeous<br />
ascomycetous fungus). Only a few are collected for their medicinal properties. Most commonly<br />
used among these is <strong>Cordyceps</strong> <strong>sinensis</strong>. Several other species are also referred to as chongcao in<br />
TCM, such as <strong>Cordyceps</strong> militaris, which is widely distributed in North America and Eurasia<br />
(Arora, 1986), as well as <strong>Cordyceps</strong> ophioglossoides, C. sobolifera, C. liangshanensis and C.<br />
cicadicola (UNW, 1996). However, no other species is considered as powerful as <strong>Cordyceps</strong><br />
<strong>sinensis</strong>, or is as costly (Chen et al., 2002). Zang & Kinjo (1998) have described several distinct<br />
species so far clustered under C. <strong>sinensis</strong>: C. gansuensis, C. kangdingensis and C. nepalensis. In<br />
this article C. <strong>sinensis</strong> will be used sensu lato. There will be no further differentiation of C.<br />
<strong>sinensis</strong> from the apparently very similar newly recognized alpine species.<br />
<strong>Cordyceps</strong> <strong>sinensis</strong> (Berk.) Sacc. parasitizes a range of grass root-boring caterpillars, which<br />
would hatch as whitish ghost moths, when not attacked by <strong>Cordyceps</strong>. The normal reproductive<br />
cycle for Thitarodes (Hepialus) takes up to five years; most of the life cycle is lived as a<br />
caterpillar, the moth itself living for only a short time, 2-5 days in the case of H. biruensis (Chen<br />
et al., 2002). As many other ghost moths, the adult Thitarodes moth is not able to eat. So far, the<br />
host for C. <strong>sinensis</strong> most commonly reported is Thitarodes armoricanus (Oberthür) Ueda,<br />
Hepialidae, Lepidoptera. Other host larvae have been identified, such as Hepialus oblifurcus Chu<br />
& Wang (Gao et al., 1992), H. baimaensis Liang and H. biruensis Fu Huang & Chen (Chen et<br />
al., 2002). All in all, nearly 40 species of Thitarodes (Hepialus) moths are recognized in the<br />
Tibetan Plateau region and, according to Chen et al., 30 species can be infected by <strong>Cordyceps</strong><br />
<strong>sinensis</strong>. Chinese entomologists are still using the generic name Hepialus, although it has been<br />
restricted to a single European species – Hepialus humuli – for some thirty years. The genus<br />
Thitarodes was erected in 1968 to accommodate Hepialus armoricanus and other related species<br />
placed originally in Hepialus (Nielsen et al., 2000), many of them the host for <strong>Cordyceps</strong><br />
<strong>sinensis</strong>.<br />
6 Clavicipitaceae also contain Claviceps purpurea – wheat ergot, from which lysergic acid is derived (Arora, 1986).<br />
It is interesting to note that <strong>Cordyceps</strong> ophioglossoides is used by indigenous healers as a neurotropic in Mexico<br />
(Guzman et al., 1998).<br />
5
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