Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Muskan Arora
HBO's acclaimed series "The Last Of Us" portrays a world ravaged by a zombie fungus, drawing inspiration from the real Cordyceps fungus used in Chinese herbal medicine.
According to Indo-Pacific Centre of Strategic Communications (IPCSC), recent activities of the Chinese army near Indian territory hint at a potential interest in Cordyceps, a herbal drug rumoured to be more valuable than gold in China.
As per the National Library of Medicine, Cordyceps, scientifically known as Cordyceps Sinensis, is a rare combination of fungus and caterpillar, found primarily in the Indian Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.
Traditional Chinese medicine recommends Cordyceps for various ailments, including fatigue, kidney disease, and low libido. Locally known as Yartsa Gunbu, it holds significant cultural and medicinal value in regions like Sikkim, Nepal, and Tibet.
Cordycepin, a bioactive molecule found in Cordyceps, shows promise in antiviral and anticancer treatments, despite ongoing research to establish its efficacy.
China leads in Cordyceps production and export, with a kilogram fetching prices higher than gold on the global market. The market value of Cordyceps surpassed $1 billion in 2022.
High demand and limited resources have led to overharvesting of Cordyceps, prompting drastic measures like blocking off entire mountains for harvesting. Declining yields in producing regions like Qinghai indicate a mismatch between demand and supply.
The emergence of China's middle class has fuelled demand for Cordyceps despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting its purported health benefits, leading to concerns over sustainability and conservation efforts.