hiocordyceps sinensis (Yarsagumba ) is a fungus that parasitizes larvae of ghost moths and produces a fruiting body valued as a herbal remedy. The fungus germinates in the living larva, kills and mummifies it, and then the stalk-like fruiting body emerges from the corpse. It is known in English colloquially as caterpillar fungus, or by its more prominent foreign names Yartsa Gunbu.Ophiocordyceps sinensis is one that has been used for at least 2100 years for its reputed abilities to cure many diseases related to lungs, kidney and erectile dysfunction. This fungus is not yet cultivated commercially despite the fact that several fermentable strains of Ophiocordyceps sinensis have been isolated by Chinese scientists.Himalayan peaks where they pitch up camps for an extended stay of almost eitht weeks, braving tghe cold and harsh environment. they spend their days mostly on all fours crawling tghroth gthe shrub lands, digging with utmost care then they espy an unusual kind of sushroom called yarsagumba.they brush gently with a tooth brush and keep it in their pickers basket they come in their thousands. lured by the high returns promied for finding this unusual med. a Nepali. Yarsagumba is said to be the most expensive herb in the world today, a kilo of it fetching more than 10,000 dollars in the international market. Apparently, pickers at the site get a dollar apiece which eventually inflates to 30 dollars apiece in the cities. In the old days too, Yarsagumba couldn’t be said to come cheap. Travellers have noted that in 1890, black, rotten specimens cost four times their weight in silver. In 1990, Yarsagumba cost $700/kilo in the Chinese wholesale market.Overharvesting and over exploitation have led to the classification of O. sinensis as an endangered species in China. Additional research needs to be carried out in order to understand its morphology and growth habit for conservation and optimum utilization.The moths in which O. sinensis grows are ambiguously referred to as ghost moth which identifies either a single species or the genus Thitarodes, and the species parasitized by O. sinensis may be one of several Thitarodes that live on the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas like India, Nepal, Bhutan. sinensis is known in the West as a medicinal mushroom, and its use has a long history in Traditional Chinese medicine as well as Traditional Tibetan medicine.The hand-collected fungus-caterpillar combination is valued by herbalists and as a status symbol.it is used as an aphrodisiac and treatment for ailments such as fatigue and cancer, although such use is mainly based on traditional Chinese medicine and anecdote.yartsa gunbu has become the most important source of cash income. The fungi contributed 40% of the annual cash income to local households and 8.5% to the GDP in 2004. Prices have increased continuously, especially since the late 1990s. In 2008,The Himalayan Ophiocordyceps production might not exceed a few tons. In 2004 the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 60000 to 90 ,000 Nepali rupees in Nepal, and about Rs 120000 in India. In 2011 the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 450,000 to 550,000 Nepali rupees in Nepal. A 2012 BBC article indicated that in north Indian villages a single fungus was worth Rs 150 (about £2 or $3), which is more than the daily wage of a manual laborer . the price of Ophiocordyceps sinensis has risen dramatically on the Tibetan Plateau, basically 900% between 1998 and 2008, an annual average of over 20% eventhough the value of big sized caterpillar fungus has increased more dramatically than smaller size Cordyceps regarded as lower quality. Yarsagumba’s health benefits relieve exhaustion and fatigue,decrease stress,strengthen stamina ,strengthen kidneys strengthen lungs,increase libido of both men and women,increase semen,strengthen the immune system strengthen muscles and body strength etc.
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