Stage- and Rearing-Dependent Metabolomics Profiling of and Its Pipeline Products.

Cordyceps, a parasitic complex of the fungus (Berk.) (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) and the ghost moth (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), is a historical ethnopharmacological commodity in China. Recently, artificial cultivation of Chinese cordyceps has been established to supplement the dwindling natural resources. However, much is unknown between the natural and cultivated products in terms of nutritional aspect, which may provide essential information for quality evaluation. The current study aims to determine the metabolic profiles of 17 treatments from 3 sample groups including fungus, insect and cordyceps complex, using Gas Chromatography - Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry. A total of 98 metabolites were detected, with 90 of them varying in concentrations among groups. The tested groups could be separated, except that fungal fruiting body was clustered into the same group as Chinese cordyceps. The main distinguishing factors for the groups studied were the 24 metabolites involved in numerous different metabolic pathways. In conclusion, metabolomics of and its related products were determined mainly by the fruiting bodies other than culture methods. Our results suggest that artificially cultured fruiting bodies and cordyceps may share indistinguishable metabolic functions as the natural ones.