b-Glucans have been identified as natural biomolecules with immunomodulatory activity. The first objective of the present study was to compare the effects of purified b-glucans derived from Laminaria digitata, L. hyperborea and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on piglet performance, selected bacterial populations and intestinal volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. The second aim was to compare the gen...

β-Glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides that are produced by bacteria, yeast, fungi, and many plants. Although their pharmacological activities, such as immunomodulatory, anti-infective and anti-cancer effects, have been well studied, it is still unclear how β-glucans exert their activities. However, recent studies on the β-glucan receptors shed some light on their mechanism of action...

The effects of sulfation of yeast glucans was optimized using response surface methodology. The degree of sulfation was evaluated from 0.11 to 0.75 using ion-chromatography. The structural characteristics of SYG (sulfation of yeast glucans) with a DS = 0.75 were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography/gel-permeation chromatography and finally by Fourier transform infrared spectr...

Glucans are a group of glucose polymers that are found in bacteria, algae, fungi, and plants. While their properties are well known, their biochemical and solubility characteristics vary considerably, and glucans obtained from different sources can have different applications. Research has described the bioactivity of β-glucans extracted from the algae of the Laminaria genus, including in ...

This research study tested the protective effect of prolonged exposure shrimp food supplemented with glucans from shrimp-pond related yeasts on Penaeus vannamei reared under presence white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The extracted and purified isolated marine identified as Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida tropicalis, humilis, glabrata, Pichia kudriavzevyi, Wickerhamomyces anomalus terrestrial Sac...

Mushrooms have unique sensory properties and nutritional values as well as health benefits due to their bioactive compounds, especially beta-glucans. Well-known edible and medicinal mushroom species as well as uncommon or unknown species representing interesting sources of bioactive beta-glucans have been widely studied. Commercially cultivated and wild growing mushrooms were analysed for their...

Natural products, useful in preventing and/or treating various diseases, have been sought after throughout the man’s history. Despite some problems inherited from the natural source of glucans, there is extensive literature about their activities in animal tumor models. For the past 25 years, Japan has used several forms of mushroom-derived glucans in treating cancer patients. Additionally, clo...

Mushrooms contain high amounts of substances like chitin and glucans, which can be used for medical purposes and nutrient matter. Therefore, an easy quantification method for chitin and for glucans, with high precision, is a matter of particular importance. For this purpose, we developed an easy and unique photometric method for the determination of -1,3-1,6 glucans in mushrooms. This method i...

Mushroom polysaccharides are edible polymers that have numerous reported biological functions; the most common effects are attributed to β-glucans. In recent years, it became apparent that the less abundant α-glucans also possess potent effects in various health conditions. Here we explore several Pleurotus species for their total, β and α-glucan content. Pleurotus eryngii was found to have the...

Many researchers have suggested that the role of glucan-mediated interactions in the adherence of Streptococcus mutans is restricted to accumulation of this cariogenic bacterium following its sucrose (i.e., glucan)-independent binding to saliva-coated tooth surfaces. However, the presence of enzymatically active glucosyltransferase in salivary pellicle suggests that glucans could also promote t...