Cordyceps roberti has beneficial effects on the human immune system, and it is one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world.

Dr Nguyen Thanh Trung checking the cultivation of Cordyceps roberti fungus

Two male natives of Da Nang namely Nguyen Thanh Trung and Nguyen Thien Khiem have together grown high-quality Cordyceps roberti and developed a wide range of products from this type of mushroom to offer for sale at competitive prices to help more Vietnamese customers access this medicinal material.

After graduating with a Doctorate degree in the Major of Molecular Biology at the University of Greifswald in Germany in 2013, Trung returned home in Da Nang and worked at the Molecular Biology Centre of the Institute for Hi-tech Research and Development under the management of the city-based Duy Tan University.

Trung said that Cordyceps roberti has beneficial effects on the human body, and this product has been mainly grown in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Therefore, Trung and his friend Nguyen Thien Khiem have conducted research into Cordyceps roberti and built a Cordyceps roberti cultivation facility in the city.

Thanks to their great efforts, Trung and Khiem’s dried cordyceps products have won the trust of local customers.

Testing results from the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality of Viet Nam (STAMEQ) showed that the contents of cordycepin and adenosine in dried cordyceps product made by Trung and Khiem are 422.5mg / 100g and 125.2mg / 100g respectively. These are the highest contents amongst the artificial cordyceps species grown in the central region.

It is important to acknowledge that cordycepin in not only exhibits proapoptotic and anti-proliferative effects in cancer cells, but also inhibits cell metastasis in tumor cells, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent in the larger scope of cancer.

Meanwhile, the key roles of adenosine are to control the sleep-wake cycle. It has a number of other physiological functions, including improving blood flow, protecting the heart, nerves, and other body parts from damage and disease, as well as balancing immune function.

In August 2018, Trung and Khiem co-founded the Vinseed Biotechnology Company headquartered in the city.

Every month, their company provides a maximum of 40.4 kg of finished Cordyceps roberti products. Currently, the majority of their company’s products are sold online or by word of mouth to more than 100 customers across the central region.

Khiem and Trung are planning to submit necessary documents to the municipal Department of science and technology for the recognition of their company as a science and technology firm.

They also plan to grow different types of biotechnology-derived mushrooms and develop new medicinal products in the coming time.

By KHANG NINH - Translated by MAI DUNG