Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Effects of Beta Glucan As Natural Immunomodulator

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 19462

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luca Vannucci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

President of the Czech Immunological Society, Head of the Laboratory of Immunotherapy Institute of Microbiology v.v.i. Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Interests: beta glucan; cell culture; cancer biology; animal models; immune system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

β-glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides that are produced by bacteria, yeast, fungi, and many plants. In the last decade, extensive research by numerous scientific groups has helped to reveal the extraordinary effects that beta glucan exerts on various physiological and pathophysiological processes in our body. Evidence about their ‘health’ potential and crucial roles in the human body are accumulating. This Special Issue aims to identify and review the effects of β-glucans as natural immunomodulators.

Dr. Luca Vannucci
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Beta glucan
Immune system
Cancer biology
Medical glucan sources and extraction
Glucans as immunomodulators in cancer
Glucans as immunomodulators in various pathologies
Glucans and microbiome

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Other

16 pages, 2910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Curdlan (Alcaligenes faecalis) (1→3)-β-d-Glucan Oligosaccharides Drive M1 Phenotype Polarization in Murine Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages via Activation of MAPKs and NF-κB Pathways

by Jun Liu, Jiqing Tang, Xiuting Li, Qiaojuan Yan, Junwen Ma and Zhengqiang Jiang

Molecules 2019, 24(23), 4251; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24234251 - 22 Nov 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3408

Abstract

Functional oligosaccharides, particularly curdlan (1→3)-β-d-glucan oligosaccharides (GOS), play important roles in modulating host immune responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the immunostimulatory effects of GOS on macrophage polarization are not clear. In this work, GOS (5–1000 µg/mL) were non-toxic to bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) with improved pinocytic and bactericidal capacities. Incubation with GOS (100 µg/mL) induced M1 phenotype polarization of BMDMs as evidenced by increased CD11c⁺/CD86⁺ (10.1%) and M1 gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin (IL)-1β, and chemokine C-C-motif ligand 2. Accordingly, the secretion of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α, as well as the nitrite release of BMDMs were increased by GOS (100 µg/mL). Expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) of phosphorylated (p)-c-Jun amino-terminal kinase, p-extracellular signal regulated kinase, and p-p38 in BMDMs were increased by GOS, as well as the p-Stat1. Moreover, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p-p65 expression in BMDMs was promoted by GOS while it suppressed IκBα expression. Receptor blocking with anti-CR3 (CD11b/CD18) and anti-toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 antibodies diminished GOS induced M1 phenotype polarization with reduced mRNA expression of M1 genes, decreased cytokine and nitrite releases, and suppressed signaling pathway activation. Thus, CR3 (CD11b/CD18) and TLR2 mediated activation of MAPKs and NF-κB pathways are responsible for GOS induced polarization of BMDMs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Beta Glucan As Natural Immunomodulator)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 4206 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polysaccharides from Basidiocarps of Cultivating Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus: Isolation and Structural Characterization

by Ekaterina Baeva, Roman Bleha, Ekaterina Lavrova, Leonid Sushytskyi, Jana Čopíková, Ivan Jablonsky, Pavel Klouček and Andriy Synytsya

Molecules 2019, 24(15), 2740; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24152740 - 28 Jul 2019

Cited by 59 | Viewed by 6104

Abstract

Oyster mushrooms are an interesting source of biologically active glucans and other polysaccharides. This work is devoted to the isolation and structural characterization of polysaccharides from basidiocarps of the cultivated oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus. Five polysaccharidic fractions were obtained by subsequent extraction with cold water, hot water and two subsequent extractions with 1 m sodium hydroxide. Branched partially methoxylated mannogalactan and slightly branched (1→6)-β-d-glucan predominated in cold- and hot-water-soluble fractions, respectively. Alternatively, these polysaccharides were obtained by only hot water extraction and subsequent two-stage chromatographic separation. The alkali-soluble parts originating from the first alkali extraction were then fractionated by dissolution in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The polysaccharide insoluble in DMSO was identified as linear (1→3)-α-d-glucan, while branched (1→3)(1→6)-β-d-glucans were found to be soluble in DMSO. The second alkaline extract contained the mentioned branched β-d-glucan together with some proteins. Finally, the alkali insoluble part was a cell wall complex of chitin and β-d-glucans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Beta Glucan As Natural Immunomodulator)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1987 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Alkaline Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Bioactivities of (1→6)-β-d-Glucan from Lentinus edodes

by Jia Li, Chao Cai, Mengmeng Zheng, Jiejie Hao, Ya Wang, Minghua Hu, Luodi Fan and Guangli Yu

Molecules 2019, 24(8), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24081610 - 24 Apr 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3964

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a robust approach to obtain β glucans from Lentinus edodes and to characterize their structural and biological properties for sustainable utilization. The alkali extraction was optimized with an orthogonal experimental design, and a concise process for obtaining specific targeting polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes was developed in this study. After purification with a Q-Sepharose Fast Flow strong anion-exchange column, the monosaccharide composition, a methylation analysis, and NMR spectroscopy were employed for their structural characterizations. LeP-N2 was found to be composed of (1→6)-β-d-glucans with minor β-(1→3) glucosidic side chains. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high-performance gel permeation chromatography–refractive index–multi-angle laser light scattering (HPGPC-RI-MALLS) also revealed LeP-N2 exhibiting a compact unit in aqueous solution. This (1→6)-β-d-glucan was tested for antioxidant activities with IC₅₀ at 157 μg/mL. Moreover, RAW 264.7 macrophage activation indicated that the release of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were markedly increased with no cytotoxicity at a dose of 100 μg/mL. These findings suggest that the (1→6)-β-d-glucans obtained from Lentinus edodes could serve as potential agents in the fields of functional foods or medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Beta Glucan As Natural Immunomodulator)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

14 pages, 2751 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Paramylon, a Potent Immunomodulator from WZSL Mutant of Euglena gracilis

by Laura Barsanti and Paolo Gualtieri

Molecules 2019, 24(17), 3114; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24173114 - 27 Aug 2019

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5473

Abstract

β-glucans, heterogeneous glucose polymers present in many organisms, have the capability to activate the innate immune system. Efficacy of activation depends on purity of the compound, molecular structure, polymerization degree, and source. One of the purest forms of crystallized β-(1–3)-glucan present in nature is the paramylon extracted from the WZSL non-chloroplastic mutant of Euglena gracilis, which can be processed to produce linear nanofibers capable of interacting with specific receptors present on cell membranes. The effects of these nanofibers, already investigated on plants, animals, and humans, will be analyzed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Beta Glucan As Natural Immunomodulator)

► Show Figures