Cordycepin
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Chemical Class | Nucleoside analogue (3’-deoxyadenosine) |
| Molecular Formula / CAS | C₁₀H₁₃N₅O₃ · CAS 73-03-0 |
| Primary Botanical Source(s) | Caterpillar fungus / cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris, Ophiocordyceps sinensis) |
| Plant Part | Fruiting body (fungal mycelium/stroma) |
| Typical Content | One of the principal bioactive nucleosides of Cordyceps militaris, alongside adenosine |
| Solubility / Format | Water-soluble nucleoside; available as standardised extract powders at multiple potency grades |
| Sourcing Status | Product-live — genuine match via Herbuno’s Cordyceps militaris extract line |
| Buy from Herbuno | Cordycepin 2% Powder (Cordyceps Extract) · Cordycepin 1% Powder |
Name origin: Cordycepin takes its name from the genus Cordyceps, the parasitic fungi from which it was first isolated and structurally characterised in 1950; its systematic chemical name, 3’-deoxyadenosine, describes its structure as a modified form of the nucleoside adenosine. Traditional use: Cordyceps has an extensive history in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tibetan medicine, historically prized as a tonic for vitality, stamina, respiratory and kidney health, traditionally sourced from the wild caterpillar-parasitising species Ophiocordyceps sinensis collected at high altitude on the Tibetan Plateau. Research trajectory: Cordycepin was one of the earliest fungal nucleoside analogues identified and was studied intensively through the mid-20th century for its antimicrobial and anticancer potential given its structural interference with RNA and DNA synthesis; because wild O. sinensis is scarce and slow-growing, modern commercial and research focus has shifted substantially toward Cordyceps militaris, which can be cultivated and reliably yields high cordycepin content. Commercial source: Cordyceps militaris is the standard commercial source of cordycepin, and Herbuno’s standardised extracts reflect this well-established, genuine botanical match.
Evidence for Cordycepin Applications
Cordycepin’s structure as a nucleoside analogue — adenosine missing a hydroxyl group at the 3’ position of its ribose sugar — allows it to interfere with RNA polyadenylation and, at sufficient concentration, protein and nucleic acid synthesis, which underlies much of its reported anti-tumour and antimicrobial activity; in the body, cordycepin is rapidly deaminated by adenosine deaminase to an inactive metabolite, a pharmacokinetic limitation that has driven interest in co-administration with deaminase inhibitors in more intensive research and clinical contexts. Claim strength: Moderate.
In LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, cordycepin significantly inhibited nitric oxide production and suppressed NF-κB activation via Akt and p38 kinase inhibition, alongside downregulation of COX-2 and iNOS gene expression, establishing a specific molecular anti-inflammatory mechanism (Jeong et al. 2006). A related study in BV2 microglial cells found cordycepin similarly suppressed nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in a concentration-dependent manner without cytotoxicity (Jeong et al. 2010), extending this anti-inflammatory mechanism specifically to neuroinflammatory cell models. Claim strength: Moderate.
A comprehensive review of cordycepin’s anti-tumour and anti-metastatic activity summarises a substantial preclinical literature showing cordycepin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis across multiple cancer cell lines, alongside anti-metastatic effects attributed to modulation of cell adhesion and signal transduction pathways (Jin et al. 2018). Separately, cordycepin combined with the adenosine deaminase inhibitor pentostatin has been evaluated in early-phase human leukaemia chemotherapy trials, representing one of the few contexts where cordycepin itself, rather than whole Cordyceps extract, has reached human clinical testing. Claim strength: Emerging.
Beyond inflammation and cancer research, cordycepin has also demonstrated antioxidant, antiviral and immunomodulatory activity in various preclinical models, consistent with Cordyceps’ broader traditional reputation as a general vitality tonic, though most of this supporting evidence remains at the cell-culture and animal-model stage rather than confirmed in dedicated human dietary supplement trials. Claim strength: Emerging.
Formulators should note that cordycepin content varies substantially between Cordyceps species and growing method: cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies typically deliver meaningfully higher cordycepin concentrations than wild-harvested Ophiocordyceps sinensis, making species specification, not just the generic term “cordyceps,” an important sourcing detail for cordycepin-focused formulation. Claim strength: Moderate.
Dosage & Formulator Specification
No formally established human dietary supplement dosing range exists for isolated cordycepin; published preclinical research has used cell-culture concentrations in the low-to-mid µM range and rodent oral or injected doses in the tens of mg/kg range, while early-phase human oncology research combining cordycepin with a deaminase inhibitor used a distinct clinical-trial dosing protocol not applicable to general supplement formulation. This gap between the extensive preclinical dosing literature and the near-absence of dedicated human supplement dosing trials is a genuine limitation formulators should account for when setting inclusion rates.
Analytical quantification of cordycepin is performed by HPLC, and because cordycepin often co-occurs with adenosine in Cordyceps extract material, formulators should request cordycepin-specific chromatographic data distinguishing it from adenosine content, since the two nucleosides have distinct pharmacology despite their structural similarity.
Species specification matters materially for cordycepin sourcing: cultivated Cordyceps militaris reliably delivers substantially higher cordycepin content than wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis, so a product specification calling simply for “cordyceps extract” without species and cordycepin-percentage detail cannot be assumed to deliver a meaningful cordycepin dose.
Regulatory positioning for cordycepin follows established Cordyceps militaris food and botanical-ingredient precedent in most markets, given cordyceps’ long traditional medicinal use history; no cordycepin-specific regulatory limit exists for dietary supplement use, distinct from the separate investigational drug status cordycepin carries in some early-phase oncology research contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions — Cordycepin
They are closely related but distinct nucleosides. Cordycepin is 3’-deoxyadenosine, adenosine missing a hydroxyl group at one position on its ribose sugar. Cordyceps extract often contains both compounds, and formulators should request cordycepin-specific analytical data rather than assuming a fixed ratio to adenosine content.
Yes, significantly. Cultivated Cordyceps militaris reliably delivers substantially higher cordycepin content than wild-harvested Ophiocordyceps sinensis, the traditional Tibetan Plateau species. A product labelled simply “cordyceps extract” without species specification cannot be assumed to deliver meaningful cordycepin.
As a nucleoside analogue, cordycepin can interfere with RNA polyadenylation and, at sufficient concentration, nucleic acid synthesis, which underlies much of its studied anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activity. It is also rapidly broken down in the body by the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a pharmacokinetic limitation researchers have worked around in more intensive clinical contexts.
Most cordycepin research remains at the cell-culture and animal-model stage. One notable exception is early-phase human leukaemia chemotherapy research combining cordycepin with a deaminase-inhibiting co-drug, though this represents a distinct clinical drug-development context rather than dietary supplement research.
Related compounds: Lentinan, Quercetin