北冬蟲夏草（Cordyceps militaris）又稱北蟲草、蛹蟲草，為藥用真菌，在中國及東南亞已有長年使用之歷史，民間用以作為保健品食用或作為中藥材以治療疾病，與人參和鹿茸一同稱為中國三大補品。
傳統人工培育北蟲草多以馬鈴薯葡萄糖瓊脂Potato Dextrose Agar（PDA）為培養基，卻有著價格昂貴或製備過程耗時耗力等問題，故本實驗對北蟲草進行最適化培養基研究，以市售五種澱粉來取代PDA進行培育，結果顯示小麥澱粉及蕃薯粉不論於液態發酵或平盤培養皆有好的結果。
此外，本研究以熱水及乙醇對北蟲草子實體進行萃取，探討其保健效果。結果顯示北蟲草水萃取液及北蟲草乙醇萃取液之總酚含量分別每克含有37.91±4.24 mg GAE / g與36.32±3.62 mg GAE / g。北蟲草水萃取液及北蟲草乙醇萃取液之總黃酮含量分別每克含有1.413±0.11 µg QE/ mL與11.39±0.08 µg QE / mL。在抗氧化能力上，北蟲草水萃取液於清除DPPH能力及總還原力皆優於乙醇萃取液。而於α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制試驗中，水萃取液的IC50為6.8055 mg/mL與乙醇萃取液的IC50為32.2436 mg/mL mg/mL皆顯示有效，並且水萃取液效果較佳。黃嘌呤氧化酶抑制試驗中則以乙醇萃取液IC50為13.48 mg/mL效果優於水萃取液的IC50為28.695 mg/mL。綜合以上結果顯示，北蟲草於中藥本草中去有成為保健品的強大潛力。
Cordyceps militaris is a medicinal fungus. It has been used for many years in China and Southeast Asia. It is used as a health care product or as a Chinese medicinal material to treat diseases. Gathing with ginseng and deer antler called China's three major tonic.
Traditionally cultivated C. militaris mostly uses potato dextrose agar (PDA) as the medium, but there are problems such as price too high or time-consuming and labor-intensive preparation process. Therefore, experimental aim was carried out the most appropriate medium for C. militaris, using commercially available five starch instead of PDA for cultivation. The results showed that both wheat starch and sweet potato flour were found to be the better media in liquid fermentation or petridish plate cultivation.
In addition, this study used hot water and ethanol to extract the fruit bodies of C. militaris to explore its nutraceutical effects. The results showed that the total phenol content of C. militaris in water extract and C. militaris in ethanol extract contained 37.91±4.24 mg GAE/g and 36.32±3.62 mg GAE/g sample, respectively. The total flavonoids of C. militaris in water extract and C. militaris in ethanol extract contain 1.413±0.11 µg QE/mL and 11.39±0.08 µg QE/mL per gram, respectively. In terms of antioxidant capacity, C. militaris in water extract is superior to C. militaris in ethanol extract in its DPPH free radical scavenging ability and total reducing power. In the α-glucosidase inhibition test, both C. militaris in water extract possessed IC50 6.8055 mg/mL and C. militaris in ethanol extract possessed IC50 32.2436 mg/mL, C. militaris in water extract was the better inhibition effect against. In the xanthine oxidase inhibition test, C. militaris in ethanol extract possessed IC50 13.48 mg/mL was more effective than C. militaris in water extract possessed IC50 28.695 mg/mL. Based on the above results, the traditional Chinese medicine fugus C. militaris showed great potential to be use in health food products.
