Bioprocess Development of Cordyceps Liquid Culture Systems for Bioactive Metabolites Production

Macrofungi have been considered for centuries as healthy foods. In addition, they are also widely used as the main component and traditional medicines in different cultures. Of these mushrooms, strains belonging to Cordyceps sp. are considered very precious candidates based on the wide range of their bioactive compounds, which are used in the treatment of different diseases. Based on the increased market demand, many attempts are now being made to cultivate this type of mushroom on an industrial scale using both solid and liquid cultivation systems. These in vitro cultivation strategies are now undergoing different optimization strategies to maximize the desired product quality and yield, shorten the cultivation time, and reduce the production cost. This chapter will cover the recent development of cultivation strategies applied for Cordyceps sp. cultivation in general, with more focus on liquid culture cultivation systems for both surface and submerged cultures for the production of the key important metabolites: cordycepin, adenosine, and polysaccharides.