Analysis and Evaluation of Volatile Chemical Components of Wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Its Mycelia in Xizang, China.

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BACKGROUND: As a rare traditional Chinese medicinal material, Ophiocordyceps sinensis is subject to counterfeiting in the market due to its limited distribution and insufficient supply and demand. Therefore, conducting research on its volatile components is of great significance for identifying authenticity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is utilized to analyze the compositional disparities between wild O. sinensis samples from different regions and developmental stages, including its mycelia (OS).

RESULTS: Our findings revealed that both wild O. sinensis and OS contain 11 distinct classes of volatile compounds, including aldehydes, ketones, nitrogen-containing heterocycles, alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters, aromatics, alkanes, oxygen heterocycles, amides, and olefins. However, the number of volatile components varied among sample types, with aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, nitrogen-containing heterocycles, and terpenes being the predominant compounds in OS.

CONCLUSION: The diversity and concentration of volatile compounds in wild O. sinensis and its mycelia are influenced by growth conditions. These volatile substances, which contribute to the characteristic "fishy taste" of O. sinensis, can serve as a basis for distinguishing O. sinensis from different geographical origins.