The ‘zombie mushroom’, which came to the fore with the popular TV series «The Last of Us», was seen in Istanbul. It has been stated that mushrooms are not harmful to humans and have been used as a source of healing in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years.
The zombie mushroom, cordyceps militaris, which is the subject of curiosity among the audience with The Last Of Us series, has caused various legends to be spoken around the world with the effect of the movie.Natural mushroom researcher Naim Güleç, who came across the cordyceps militaris mushroom in the Samandıra Forest of Istanbul as a result of long research, and mycologist Selime Semra Erol, who conducts academic research on medicinal mushrooms, talked about the unknowns about the zombie mushroom, which has a medicinal aspect.Erol, who continues his doctoral studies on medicinal mushrooms at Düzce University and has been conducting academic studies on medicinal mushrooms, their production and medicinal effects for the last five years, stated that cordyceps has an important place in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years due to its pharmacological properties and that the mushroom family it is in is more than 400 years old. He said that it is the genus with the most varieties with its species.Stating that each mushroom species of the cordyceps genus is parasitic fungi belonging to a different insect, caterpillar and pine processionary pupa, Erol said, «What makes this mushroom important is that it has been used as a source of healing in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.» said.Stating that cordyceps militaris, a fungus that grows in high places in the Himalayas and Tibet, is consumed as food, especially in India and China, and that the most important thing is the cordyceps substance in it, Erol said: «In addition, this medicinal mushroom contains active substances and compounds used in the treatment of kidney and liver diseases.» used his statements.Stating that the mushrooms belonging to the cordyceps genus are used especially in traditional Chinese medicine as a daily energy level booster and metabolism accelerator, Erol said that three runners who broke 5 world records in the 1,500, 3 thousand and 10 thousand meter races in the 1993 National Games held in Beijing, China received cordyceps sinensis. He said it appeared.Stating that the discovery of Cordyceps militaris in Turkey is very pleasing for mushroom researchers, Selime Semra Erol stated that she is trying to produce mycelium from the mushroom samples she collected and that her studies on the domestic production of this species are continuing.Naim Güleç, a natural mushroom researcher who said that he devoted himself to the discovery of mushrooms, said that more than 2,500 mushrooms have been discovered in Turkey so far, that he has found more than 1000 of these mushrooms in the forests, and that he has the chance to research, examine and identify them together with their Latin scientific names. He said he tasted 219 mushrooms in terms of experimentation.Stating that the most interesting of these mushrooms is cordyceps militaris, Naim Güleç said, «I have a mushroom adventure for about twenty years. I searched for this mushroom in the forests for many years and when I read in a foreign source that it has a connection with pine processionary beetles, I went to the forests and went to the forests to find the pine sac, which has a pine pest, on the pine trees. «I searched for the beetle beetle. Since the sources say that the fungus appears on the ground in cold weather, I finally found the cordyceps militaris fungus in the pine forests of Istanbul in 2015. Then I sent it to Ankara University mycologist Associate Professor Dr. Ilgaz Akata. The scientific article was published in 2016.» said.Güleç stated that although it is a small fungus, it can be easily noticed while walking due to its red color, and that this fungus should be searched for in places where there are pine trees infested by pine processionary beetles. Explaining that it comes out of its bark when the appropriate temperature and conditions come, that is, when the season comes, Güleç said that when you look at the bottom of the fungus, you can easily see the pupa of the pine processionary beetle, which it uses as a feeding ground.Güleç stated that in the TV series The Last Of Us, which is now broadcast on a digital platform, a scenario such as the end of the world is due to the fact that the cordyceps fungus causes a new epidemic that turns people into zombies, and the possible reason for this is that this fungus takes over arthropods, as in the pine processionary beetle. brought.Güleç said, «It is believed that there is a utopia that cordyceps fungi will take over the human nervous system and turn it into a zombie. This does not seem scientifically possible. Cordyceps fungi cannot develop above 25 degrees. Therefore, the development of this fungus in humans or other mammals with a body temperature of 37 degrees, taking over the body and causing any harm. «In fact, cordyceps is a mushroom with a medicinal aspect. I collect it regularly every year and drink its tea. Also, it can be cooked.» he said.Stating that everyone can find and collect Cordyceps militaris in cold weather conditions during the winter months, Güleç said, «They can consume their tea in the context of preventive medicine. Because this mushroom has anti-tumor and similar properties. I recommend everyone to research, find and experience it.» said.
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The «zombie mushroom» known as cordyceps militaris, which gained popularity with the video game, «The Last of Us,» has been found in Istanbul’s Samandıra Forest. According to mycologist Selime Semra Erol, the cordyceps genus has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years due to its pharmacological properties. Erol said that the mushroom is parasitic and feeds on various insects or creatures, such as caterpillars and pine processionary pupae. The cordyceps militaris, which grows in high places in the Himalayas and Tibet, is also consumed as food in India and China, Erol said, adding that the mushroom contains substances and compounds used in the treatment of kidney and liver diseases.
