Cryopreservation of Cordyceps militaris (L.) link using a vitrification method

摘要

Cordyceps militaris (L.) link has been traditionally consumed as an edible and medicinal fungus due to its pharmacological potential. C. militaris is widely cultivated on artificial mediums, but their growth and production are usually affected by excessive sub-culturing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preservation conditions, including the concentrations of cryoprotectants, freezing temperatures, and storage times, on the colony diameters and the fruiting body production of C . militaris . The results indicated that at the freezing temperature of -196 ?C, the fruiting bodies of C . militaris could be stored for 6 months. After 3 weeks of regrowth, the highest recovery percentage of cryopreserved fruiting bodies (100%) and mycelial discs (100%) were obtained after the samples had been exposed to 10% glycerol at -196 ?C. Moreover, the development of fruiting bodies from the fungal preservation under the optimized conditions had been able to be completely induced. This study has established a simple and efficient preservation method for C . militaris .