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Allergologia Et Immunopathologia 2014β-glucans are a group of biologically active polysaccharides of natural origin with a proven pleiotropic immunomodulation effect. Their efficacy has been confirmed in... (Review)
Review
β-glucans are a group of biologically active polysaccharides of natural origin with a proven pleiotropic immunomodulation effect. Their efficacy has been confirmed in the therapeutic treatment and prevention of various infectious diseases, secondary immune defects and also of oncologic disorders. Allergic diseases are one of the most frequent diseases and their prevalence continues to increase. They develop as a consequence of dysregulation of the immune system, especially when there is failure in the equilibrium of the response of TH1/TH2 lymphocytes towards TH2. New therapeutic approaches in the treatment of immunopathological conditions (e.g. allergic or oncologic) are directed to restoring the equilibrium among different T lymphocyte subpopulations. Based on in vitro experiments, and also on animal and human clinical studies, there is much evidence for the importance of β-glucans in the treatment and also prevention of allergic diseases; this opens new perspectives on the use of this widespread and popular group of natural substances.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Hypersensitivity; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 23253683
DOI: 10.1016/j.aller.2012.08.008 -
Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal... Jun 2013β-glucans belong to a group of polysaccharides located in the cell wall of bacteria, fungi including mushrooms, as well as cereals such as barley and oats. All... (Review)
Review
β-glucans belong to a group of polysaccharides located in the cell wall of bacteria, fungi including mushrooms, as well as cereals such as barley and oats. All β-glucans are glucose polymers linked together by a (β 1-3) linear β-glycosidic chain core and they differ by their length and branching structures. They are considered biological response modifiers with immunomodulatory and health beneficial effects including anticancer properties. Few studies using purified β- glucans were performed, but their anticancer potential was demonstrated mainly through studies using extracts from mushrooms, yeast or other sources which contain β-glucan as a key component. Their anticancer effects were demonstrated mainly in in vitro and in vivo experimental systems but fewer studies from human populations are available. β-glucans have been used as adjuvant therapy in clinical trials, mainly in the Far East, with a positive effect on patients'survival and quality of life. The mechanism of action is suggested to be through its stimulation of the immune system. This review focuses on human studies; clinical trials and epidemiological data assessing the efficacy and safety of mushroom-derived β- glucans in cancer treatment and prevention. The potential direct effects of β-glucans on cancer cells are also described.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Neoplasms; Plant Extracts; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 23140353
DOI: 10.2174/1871520611313050005 -
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology Nov 2023β-glucans (βGs) are carbohydrate polymers linked by β-1,3, 1,4 or 1,6 bonds, they have been used to protect against potential pathogens and prevent lethal diseases.... (Review)
Review
β-glucans (βGs) are carbohydrate polymers linked by β-1,3, 1,4 or 1,6 bonds, they have been used to protect against potential pathogens and prevent lethal diseases. The immune system possesses several receptors that identify a wide range of structures and trigger cellular and humoral mechanisms. However, the mechanisms by which βGs activate the immune system of invertebrate organisms have not been fully clarified. This review is focused on evaluating the effect of βGs on innate immune system in invertebrates. βGs stimulate different cellular and humoral mechanisms, such as phagocytosis, oxygen species production, extracellular trap formation, proPO system, and antimicrobial peptide synthesis, moreover, βGs increase survival rate and decrease pathogen load in several species.
Topics: Animals; beta-Glucans; Antioxidants; Invertebrates; Phagocytosis
PubMed: 37984608
DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.108022 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2017β-Glucans are a group of biologically-active fibers or polysaccharides from natural sources with proven medical significance. β-Glucans are known to have antitumor,... (Review)
Review
β-Glucans are a group of biologically-active fibers or polysaccharides from natural sources with proven medical significance. β-Glucans are known to have antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-allergic, anti-osteoporotic, and immunomodulating activities. β-Glucans are natural bioactive compounds and can be taken orally, as a food supplement, or as part of a daily diet, and are considered safe to use. The medical significance and efficiency of β-glucans are confirmed in vitro, as well as using animal- and human-based clinical studies. However, systematic study on the clinical and physiological significance of β-glucans is scarce. In this review, we not only discuss the clinical and physiological importance of β-glucans, we also compare their biological activities through the existing in vitro and animal-based in vivo studies. This review provides extensive data on the clinical study of β-glucans.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Immunomodulation; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 28872611
DOI: 10.3390/ijms18091906 -
Nutrition Reviews Nov 2009Together with chitin, the beta-glucans are components of mycetes' cell walls. A high level of biological efficiency has been found in beta-glucans, especially... (Review)
Review
Together with chitin, the beta-glucans are components of mycetes' cell walls. A high level of biological efficiency has been found in beta-glucans, especially beta-1,3-D-glucans and beta-1,6-D-glucans isolated from some basidiomycetes. (Biological efficiency refers to the relative ability of beta-glucans to promote a desired response, for example to induce leukocyte activation and to produce inflammatory mediators.) These polysaccharides increase the number of Th1 lymphocytes, which help protect organisms against allergic reactions. A number of beta-glucans, for example pleuran from Oyster (Pleurotus spp.) mushrooms or lentinan from Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushrooms, have shown marked anticarcinogenic activity. In addition to having an immunity-stimulating effect, beta-glucans may participate in physiological processes related to the metabolism of fats in the human body. Their application results in a decrease in the total cholesterol content in blood and may also contribute to reductions in body weight.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Basidiomycota; Cell Wall; Humans; Lentinan; Lipid Metabolism; Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 19906249
DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00230.x -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2022β-glucans are a diverse group of polysaccharides composed of β-1,3 or β-(1,3-1,4) linked glucose monomers. They are mainly synthesized by fungi, plants, seaweed and... (Review)
Review
β-glucans are a diverse group of polysaccharides composed of β-1,3 or β-(1,3-1,4) linked glucose monomers. They are mainly synthesized by fungi, plants, seaweed and bacteria, where they carry out structural, protective and energy storage roles. Because of their unique physicochemical properties, they have important applications in several industrial, biomedical and biotechnological processes. β-glucans are also major bioactive molecules with marked immunomodulatory and metabolic properties. As such, they have been the focus of many studies attesting to their ability to, among other roles, fight cancer, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and control diabetes. The physicochemical and functional profiles of β-glucans are deeply influenced by their molecular structure. This structure governs β-glucan interaction with multiple β-glucan binding proteins, triggering myriad biological responses. It is then imperative to understand the structural properties of β-glucans to fully reveal their biological roles and potential applications. The deconstruction of β-glucans is a result of β-glucanase activity. In addition to being invaluable tools for the study of β-glucans, these enzymes have applications in numerous biotechnological and industrial processes, both alone and in conjunction with their natural substrates. Here, we review potential applications for β-glucans and β-glucanases, and explore how their functionalities are dictated by their structure.
Topics: Fungi; Molecular Structure; Neoplasms; Plants; Polysaccharides; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 35328577
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063156 -
Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal... Jun 2013Beta-glucans (β-glucans), naturally occurring polysaccharides, are present as constituents of the cell wall of cereal grains, mushrooms, algae, or microbes including... (Review)
Review
Beta-glucans (β-glucans), naturally occurring polysaccharides, are present as constituents of the cell wall of cereal grains, mushrooms, algae, or microbes including bacteria, fungi, and yeast. Since Pillemer et al. first prepared and investigated zymosan in the 1940s and others followed with the investigation of β-glucans in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers have well established the significant role of β-glucans on the immune system relative to cancer treatment, infection immunity, and restoration of damaged bone marrow. However, information on their biological role in anti-metastatic activity remains limited. As an immunomodulating agent, β-glucan acts through the activation of innate immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, granulocytes, and natural killer cells. This activation triggers the responses of adaptive immune cells such as CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells and B cells, resulting in the inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis. Reports have shown that β-glucans exert multiple effects on cancer cells and cancer prevention. However the mechanisms of their actions appear complex due to differences in source, chemical structure, insufficiently defined preparation, and molecular weight, hence the inconsistent and often contradictory results obtained. This review is focused on the potential of β-glucans as anti-metastatic agents and the known mechanisms underlying their biological effects.
Topics: Animals; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasms; Signal Transduction; Treatment Outcome; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 23140352
DOI: 10.2174/1871520611313050004 -
Cellular Microbiology Jun 2018Cyclic β-1,2-D-glucans (CβG) are natural bionanopolymers present in the periplasmic space of many Proteobacteria. These molecules are sugar rings made of 17 to 25... (Review)
Review
Cyclic β-1,2-D-glucans (CβG) are natural bionanopolymers present in the periplasmic space of many Proteobacteria. These molecules are sugar rings made of 17 to 25 D-glucose units linked exclusively by β-1,2-glycosidic bonds. CβG are important for environmental sensing and osmoadaptation in bacteria, but most importantly, they play key roles in complex host-cell interactions such as symbiosis, pathogenesis, and immunomodulation. In the last years, the identification and characterisation of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of CβG allowed to know in detail the steps necessary for the formation of these sugar rings. Due to its peculiar structure, CβG can complex large hydrophobic molecules, a feature possibly related to its function in the interaction with the host. The capabilities of the CβG to function as molecular boxes and to solubilise hydrophobic compounds are attractive for application in the development of drugs, in food industry, nanotechnology, and chemistry. More importantly, its excellent immunomodulatory properties led to the proposal of CβG as a new class of adjuvants for vaccine development.
Topics: Biosynthetic Pathways; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Proteobacteria; Symbiosis; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 29624823
DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12850 -
Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal... Jun 2013Mushrooms have been consumed for their health benefits for thousands of years in China, and the main active component was recently identified as beta-glucan. The... (Review)
Review
Mushrooms have been consumed for their health benefits for thousands of years in China, and the main active component was recently identified as beta-glucan. The immune-stimulating effect of beta-glucans has been well studied, and several beta-glucan receptors have been identified on the surface of immune cells. In addition, mushroom extracts with high levels of beta-glucans have also been shown to have direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, and beta-glucans are used for the treatment of cancer. This review summarizes the use of beta-glucans in colon cancer. Evidence has supported the idea that beta-glucans can decrease the size of xenografted colon cancer tumors via the stimulation of the immune system and direct cytotoxicity. Beta-glucans can also have synergistic effects with chemotherapeutic agents and other immune stimulators, and an innovative strategy is to use beta-glucans to deliver nanoparticles containing chemotherapeutic agents to the site of the colon cancer and, thus, improve the therapeutic efficacy.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Colonic Neoplasms; Humans; Treatment Outcome; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 23293888
DOI: 10.2174/1871520611313050007 -
Bioscience Reports Jan 2024β-Glucans are valuable functional polysaccharides distributed in nature, especially in the cell walls of fungi, yeasts, bacteria, and cereals. The unique features of... (Review)
Review
β-Glucans are valuable functional polysaccharides distributed in nature, especially in the cell walls of fungi, yeasts, bacteria, and cereals. The unique features of β-glucans, such as water solubility, viscosity, molecular weight, and so on, have rendered them to be broadly applied in various food systems as well as in medicine to improve human health. Moreover, inhibition of cancer development could be achieved by an increase in immune system activity via β-glucans. β-glucans, which are part of a class of naturally occurring substances known as biological response modifiers (BRMs), have also shown evidence of being anti-tumorogenic, anti-cytotoxic, and anti-mutagenic. These properties make them attractive candidates for use as pharmaceutical health promoters. Along these lines, they could activate particular proteins or receptors, like lactosylceramide (LacCer), Dickin-1, complement receptor 3 (CR3), scavenge receptors (SR), and the toll-like receptor (TLR). This would cause the release of cytokines, which would then activate other antitumor immune cells, like macrophages stimulating neutrophils and monocytes. These cells are biased toward pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis and phagocytosis enhancing the elicited immunological responses. So, to consider the importance of β-glucans, the present review introduces the structure characteristics, biological activity, and antitumor functions of fungal β-glucans, as well as their application.
Topics: Humans; beta-Glucans; Phagocytosis; Neutrophils; Macrophages; Cytokines
PubMed: 38088444
DOI: 10.1042/BSR20231686