CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What are the functions of golden cicada flowers?

Chinese name: cicada flower

English name: Cordyceps sobolifera; C. cicadae

Definition: An insect pathogenic fungus of the genus Cordyceps that infects cicadas. It is named for the flower-like shape of the fruiting bodies (ascocarps) formed on the rigid corpses of the cicadas.

Contains glycogen, cordycepic acid, various alkaloids and ergosterol, etc. Japan has isolated alkali-soluble cicada fungus polysaccharide from the insect body, which is β-(1→3) glucan.

According to Chinese medicine books, cicada fungus contains a large amount of chitin and nitrogen, which can reduce the tension of skeletal muscles and block the ganglia.

1. "Compendium of Materia Medica": There is a kind of cicada in Shu today. When it sheds its shell, it has a horn on its head, which is like a corolla. It is called cicada flower. A Westerner brought it to the capital. The doctor said that it is a very wonderful medicine. 2. "Compendium of Materia Medica": Cicada flower is everywhere and can be picked in July. The one that grows in the bitter bamboo forest is the best, and the flowers emerge from the soil.

Indications: exogenous wind-heat; fever; dizziness; sore throat; early stage of single-board rash; rash that is not coming out smoothly; infantile convulsions; red and swollen eyes; cataract covering the eyes; night crying

Ecological environment: Born on cicada larvae.

Harvesting and storage: Between June and August, dig out from the soil, remove the soil, and dry in the sun.

Resource distribution: Distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places.

Nature and flavor: sweet; cold; non-toxic

Source of medicinal materials: The spore bundles of the cicadella fungus of the ergot family, the fruiting bodies of the giant cicadella grass, and the insects that parasitize them.

Dosage and administration: For oral use: decoction, 3-9g.

Chemical components of Chinese medicine: The fruit of the cicada grass contains galactomannan, which is composed of D-mannose and D-galactose in a ratio of 4:3. The insect body contains polysaccharides CI-5N, CI-P and CI-A.

The oldest Cordyceps

Cicada fungus is a complex of the nymphs of bamboo cicadas parasitized by the fungus Penicillium cicadae of the family Ergotaceae. It is a cordyceps similar to Cordyceps sinensis. The wild cicada fungus native to the Hengduan Mountains and Tianmu Mountains, which infects bamboo cicadas, is called golden cicada fungus or big cicada grass (see Baidu Library Lu Di's "Golden Cicada Fungus"). It was first discovered in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and it has been cultivated for 800 years. However, natural cicada fungus is very rare, and wild golden cicada fungus is even rarer and more precious, which limits the large-scale use of cicada fungus.

Domestic and foreign studies have shown that cicada flowers have multiple functions such as improving immunity, resisting fatigue, protecting kidneys, improving sleep, anti-tumor, protecting liver, anti-radiation and improving eyesight, and are a magical ancient Chinese medicine. Artificially cultivated cicada flowers contain 2.18% mannitol, 21.73% polysaccharides, 19.76% amino acids, 0.005% cordycepin, and 0.05% adenosine, which are similar to natural cordyceps, but arsenic, mercury, lead and other toxic heavy metals are not detected, which is safer than natural cordyceps. Therefore, cicada flowers can be used as a substitute for cordyceps, and can also achieve the effect of nourishing and maintaining health.

Nourishing and strengthening effect

Chen Wanqun et al. reported that the main amino acid components of cicada fungus and various cordyceps are similar in type and content. Scholars generally agree that various amino acids are one of the material bases for nourishing and strengthening. Pharmacological experiments have shown that the amino acids of cicada fungus and various cordyceps have different degrees of tonic effects.

Anti-fatigue and anti-stress effects

The water decoction of cicada fungus can significantly prolong the swimming time of experimental mice and significantly increase their survival time under normal pressure hypoxia and high temperature conditions, proving that cicada fungus has anti-fatigue and anti-stress effects.

Sedative and hypnotic effects

The number of spontaneous nucleus activity in the mice group was significantly less than that in the control group within 10 minutes after administration of cicada fungus 1 hour later; cicada fungus can also significantly prolong the sleep time of mice and shorten the disappearance time of the righting reflex of sodium pentobarbital; cicada fungus can also increase the sleep rate of mice per unit time. This proves that cicada fungus has a good sedative and hypnotic effect. At the same time, the study proves that the effect of artificial culture is almost the same as that of natural cicada fungus.

Antipyretic and analgesic effects

Cordyceps has a significant cooling effect on normal and artificially fever rats within 2 hours after administration; the results of the writhing method and hot plate method showed that Cordyceps has a very significant inhibitory effect on chemical and cracked plum heat irritation pain in mice. This proves that Cordyceps has a good antipyretic and analgesic effect. This experiment and the experiment of Chen Zhuan et al. both prove that the artificial culture of Cordyceps has the same effect.

Immunomodulatory effects

The cicada fungus strain was artificially fermented to produce cicada fungus hyphae, from which cicada fungus polysaccharide was extracted, and Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide was used as a positive control and Grifola frondosa polysaccharide was used as a reference test. Lymphatic transformation test, Ea and E rosette test, specific immune rosette test (macrophage phagocytosis test, anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibody titer test) were performed on mice. The results showed that cicada fungus polysaccharide has a significant effect on improving immune function.

Improve kidney function

Clinical applications by Professor Chen Yiping and Director Lv Di of the Department of Internal Medicine of Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have confirmed that Cordyceps sinensis has the functions of reducing blood and urine creatinine, increasing endogenous creatinine clearance, improving serum protein content, and reducing urine protein excretion. Therefore, it has a definite effect on patients with early and mid-stage chronic renal insufficiency. Further studies have confirmed that Cordyceps sinensis has a good effect on renal interstitial tubular lesions, can protect renal tubular cell Na+-K+-ATPase, reduce cell lysosome and cell lipid peroxidation damage, improve renal hemodynamics, and reduce endothelial cell damage and blood coagulation. Therefore, it is believed that Cordyceps sinensis can improve renal function.

Reference Baidu Encyclopedia:

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Anti-tumor effect. Anti-tumor effect of cicada fungus, preventing the spread and metastasis of cancer cells, etc. is achieved by improving the patient's immunity. Director Lu Di of the "China Cancer Treatment Protection Network" and authoritative tumor experts at home and abroad believe that the fundamental cause of cancer is the decline in the patient's immunity. The immune system is the body's own natural barrier, which can produce anti-cancer and other immune protection effects to maintain the physiological balance and stability of the body. It can improve the tolerance of patients undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy to the toxicity of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, eliminate the severe pain unique to cancer, reduce or eliminate the side effects such as leukopenia, hair loss, loss of appetite, vomiting caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, improve cachexia, improve the quality of life, and prolong life. Galactomannan polysaccharide also has anti-tumor effects. 2. Central nervous system regulation effect Central nervous system effect Intraperitoneal injection of natural cicada fungus or artificial culture dilute alcohol extract of mice Cicada fungus

It can significantly reduce their autonomous activities, prolong the sleep time caused by sodium pentobarbital and chloral hydrate, and increase the sleep rate of mice with subthreshold hypnotic doses of sodium pentobarbital; it can also prolong the latency time of convulsions caused by central nervous system stimulants strychnine and pentylenetetrazol in mice. Chemical stimulation method and hot plate method have proved that both have significant analgesic effects. Intraperitoneal injection into normal rats with fever caused by yeast has a significant cooling effect. Other data further prove that cicada fungus and its artificial culture have significant analgesic, sedative and antipyretic effects. [3] Side effects Toxicity Acute toxicity experiments show that mice were gavaged with 60g/kg of natural cicada ethanol extract and observed for 72 hours.

None of the 20 mice died. After administration, the animals only showed reduced activity, which returned to normal after 24 hours. The LD50 of intraperitoneal injection was 12.5±2.1g/kg. Toxic reactions included writhing, reduced activity, dyspnea and even death. Subacute toxicity experiments showed that three groups of rats were given oral administration of 1g/kg, 3g/kg and 9g/kg for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that no abnormal changes were found in the animals' blood routine, liver and kidney function and electrocardiogram. No obvious abnormal changes were found in pathological examinations of important organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys. [3]