Effects of Peanut Oil on Growth, Development and Cordycepin Content of Cordyceps militaris

Cordyceps militaris is a valuable mushroom that has been widely used around the world. This study was conducted to investigate effects of peanut oil on the growth, development and cordycepin content of C. militaris fruiting bodies, aiming to enhance the quality of C. militaris for consumer needs. The study added peanut oil (0.5—5%) to the first, second propagation media and the fruiting body culture media. The results of the study showed that supplementing 3% peanut oil in the first medium, 2% in the secondary propagation medium, and 2.5% in the fruiting body medium was suitable for fruiting body formation. The mycelial growth rate increased by 1.22 times compared to the control, the number of fruiting bodies increased by 1.32 times, and the cordycepin content reached 156 mg/kg, which was 2.14 times higher than the control.