Quality

The constantly growing demand and difficualties invoved in harvesting has led tothe constantly growing demand and difficualties invoved in harvesting has led to skyrocketing prices (since 1980, prices have grown about 350x for wild cordyceps sinensis!) In fact, natural reserves are not big enough to even cover domestic consumption. This has led to attempts at cultivation. Many commercial products such as tablets, pills, and powders include cultivated biomass of caterpillar fungus (instead of caterpillars, they use peas, brown rice, or other mediums which are infected by spores of yarsagumba. The end result is a biomass which may contains similar active components to wild ophiocordyceps sinensis (cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), d-mannitol, polysacharids, amino acids, etc.) But without the same parameters of a quality, intensity and effectiveness as wild, natural caterpillar fungus. Skyrocketing prices(since1980,prices have grown about 350x for wild rdyceps sinensis!) In fact, natural reserves are not big enough to even cover domestic consumption. This has led to attempts at cultivation. Many commercial products such as tablets, pills, and powders include cultivated biomass of caterpillar fungus (instead of caterpillars, they use peas, brown rice, or other mediums which are infected by spores of yarsagumba. The end result is a biomass which may contains similar active components to wild ophiocordyceps sinensis (cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), d-mannitol, polysacharids, amino acids, etc.) But without the same parameters of a quality, intensity and effectiveness as wild, natural caterpillar fungus.