Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: β-Glucans are glucose polymers that naturally occur in yeasts, molds, algae, mushrooms, bacteria, oats and barley.Immunostimulation is one of the most important properties of β-glucans.Th ey are classifi ed as biological response modifi ers and because of their biological activities they can be used in human and veterinary medicine and pharmacy.Additionally, β-glucans show interesting physicochemical properties and therefore could be applied in food and feed production as well as in cosmetic and chemical industries.Immunomodulation by β-glucan, both in vitro and in vivo, inhibits cancer cell growth and metastasis and prevents or reduces bacterial infection.In humans, dietary β-glucan lowers blood cholesterol, improves glucose utilization by body cells and also helps wound healing.β-Glucans work, in part, by stimulating the innate immune mechanism to fi ght a range of foreign challenges and could be used as an adjuvant, in combination with anti-infective or antineoplastic agents, radiotherapy, and a range of topical agents and nutrients.Th e structure of β-glucans depends on the source they are isolated from.Native β-glucan molecules can be linked and branched in several ways.Biological properties of diff erent β-glucan molecules are dependent on their molecular structure.Some authors claim that the β-(1→3),(1→6)-glucan derived from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae produce the highest biological eff ects.Th us, in this review the β-glucans and their metabolic activity are discussed, with the special accent on those isolated from yeast.Other possible β-glucan applications, directed to cosmetic production, non-medical application in pharmaceutical and chemical industry, are also discussed.
Institutions: University of Zagreb, College of Agriculture at Križevci
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2166565475