Effects of cordycepin on regeneration in a planarian model

Abstract

Used widely in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the cordyceps mushroom has been shown to offer a plethora of health benefits. Aiding ailments from chronic fatigue to cancer, the major bioactive molecule, cordycepin, may also assist in tissue repair. To test these unsupported claims, planarian were cut in half to serve as a regenerative/wound healing model with cordycepin being administered at nine varying concentrations. Specific aspects of growth, being total length and blastema length, were observed over the 6 days following amputation. After analysis of variance, a significant interaction between segment and concentration was recorded with concentrations of interest corresponding to 1mM, 100uM, 100nM, 10nM, and 100pM on the 6th day of regeneration, F(8,287)=3.305,p<.01, η²=.0891. Differences in blastema on day 6 of regeneration were also observed, F(8,243)=2.130, p<.001, η²=.087, showing an increase in size in higher concentrations, 1mM and 100uM, and decreases in size when considering the lower concentrations of the experiment, 100nM, 10nM, and 100pM. The differential results indicate the possibility of different mechanisms of regeneration being influenced by cordycepin, but further biochemical testing is required.CordycepinCordycepin