World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

AN OVERVIEW ON PROMISING PHARMACOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASSETS OF NATURAL HIMALAYAN VIAGRA (CORDYCEPS SINENSIS)

Rajesh K. Yadav, Ashok K. Kakodia, Atul Tiwari, Lakha Ram, Lakshya Chaudhary and Raaz K. Maheshwari*

ABSTRACT

Cordyceps, a caterpillar fungus is found to be used as high medicinal value by the people around the world. It is a highly valued aphrodisiac commonly known as “Himalayan Viagra”. Cordyceps spp. genus compromises a plethora of compounds and some of them showed therapeutic and pharmacological activities. Yarsagumba is known to science as Ophiocordyceps sinensis The taste is of mushroom, flavoursome, sweet and neutral in nature. It can be eaten plain or powdered, mixed with milk or water. It is considered to have high medicinal value and used to treat diseases like cancer, diabetes, pulmonary diseases cardiovascular disorder, sexual dysfunction, renal disease and many other diseases for centuries in Chinese Traditional Medicine and Bhutanese Indigenous Medicine. The present study reviews about its basic knowledge, about the properties of Cordyceps species along with ethnopharmacological properties, application in food, chemical compounds, and various pharmacological properties with a special focus on various medicinal uses, phytochemical and pharmacological studies conducted so far.

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