Researchers recently came across a rare mushroom called Cordyceps militaris, a species of fungus known also as the "zombie mushroom," in the Samandıra Forest on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The "zombie mushroom" has become the subject of curiosity worldwide with the release of the world phenomena "The Last of Us" series.

Natural mushroom researcher Naim Güleç, who came across the cordyceps militaris mushroom in the Samandıra Forest of Istanbul during research, and mycologist Selime Semra Erol, who conducts academic research on mushrooms used for medical purposes, told Anadolu Agency (AA) about the lesser known details related to the mushroom.

Erol is working on 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. She explained that cordyceps has had an important place in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years due to its pharmacological properties and that the mushroom family it belongs to is more than 400 years old. She also noted that it is the genus with the most varieties in its species.

Stating that each mushroom species of the cordyceps genus is parasitic fungi that targets different insects, including caterpillars 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."

Additionally, Erol also noted that the fungus grows in high altitudes in the Himalayas and Tibet, and is consumed as food, especially in India and China. Elaborating that the most important part of the fungus is its cordyceps substance, Erol said that the mushroom contains active substances and compounds used in the treatment of kidney and liver diseases.

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 as well, Erol said that it was revealed that the three runners who broke five world records in the 1,500, 3,000 and 10,000-meter races in the 1993 National Games held in Beijing had used Cordyceps sinensis.

Additionally, Erol noted that the discovery of the fungus in Türkiye is very exciting for mushroom researchers. She added 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.

Güleç, a natural mushroom researcher who said that he devoted himself profoundly to the discovery of mushrooms, said that more than 2,500 mushrooms species have been discovered in Türkiye so far, adding that more than 1,000 of these mushrooms are found in the forests. Moreover, he added that up until now, he had an opportunity to study 219 of these mushrooms, identifying them by their scientific Latin names.

Stating that the most interesting of these is Cordyceps militaris, Güleç said: "My mushroom adventure dates back about 20 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 looking for the pine sac insect, which is found on the pine trees."

''As 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,'' Güleç said, adding that a scientific article on it was published in 2016.

Güleç stated that although it is a small fungus, it can be easily noticed when walking due to its red color and that it should be sought in places where pine trees are infested by pine processionary beetles.

'Zombie utopia'

Güleç stated that in the TV series "The Last Of Us," which is currently being broadcast on a digital platform, a scenario such as the end of the world evolves due to the fact that the cordyceps fungus causes a new epidemic that turns people into zombies.

"Some worry that cordyceps fungi will take over the human nervous system and turn them into zombies. This does not seem scientifically possible,'' Güleç explained.

He added that the Cordyceps fungi cannot grow in temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit.)

''Therefore, the development of this fungus in humans or other mammals with a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, taking over the body and causing any harm is impossible from a medical perspective,'' he assured.

Underscoring that the fungus carries significance in the context of preventive medicine, Güleç suggested more research should be conducted on the mushroom.