Beta Glucan

Beta glucan is a complex polysaccharide composed of glucose molecules extracted from the wall of common baker's yeast (saccharomeyes cervisae). It is possible to extract beta glucan from other sources such as oats, barley and certain mushrooms, but clinical trials have shown that beta 1,3/1,6 glucan from baker's yeast is the most effective in activating and supporting the immune system.

Scientists discovered that every macrophage (scavenger cells in our bodies, designed to destroy foreign invaders) has specific receptor sites for the beta glucan meta molecule. Once the beta glucan has bound to these receptors, it "primes" the macrophage to be ready for action as part of our first line of defense against invaders. Additionally, beta glucan receptors have been found on other immune system cells such as neutrophils and natural killer cells, thus strengthening almost every aspect of our immune system, as designed by nature.

Click the links below for further research on Beta Glucan

Brown GD, Gordon S.
Immune recognition. A new receptor for beta-glucans.Nature. 2001 Sep 6;413(6851):36-7. PMID: 11544516 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Falameeva OV, Poteryaeva ON, Zhanaeva SY, Levina OA, Filatova TG, Korolenko TA, Kaledin VI, Sandula I, Kogan G.
Macrophage Stimulator beta-(1--3)-D-Carboxymethylglucan Improves the Efficiency of Chemotherapy of Lewis Lung Carcinoma.Bull Exp Biol Med. 2001 Aug;132(2):787-790.PMID: 11713568 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Tkacz JS, DiDomenico B.
Antifungals: what's in the pipeline.Curr Opin Microbiol. 2001 Oct;4(5):540-5.PMID: 11587930 [PubMed - in process]

Lowe E, Rice P, Ha T, Li C, Kelley J, Ensley H, Lopez-Perez J, Kalbfleisch J, Lowman D, Margl P, Browder W, Williams D.
Glucans are fungal cell wall polysaccharides which stimulate innate immune responses. We determined the minimum unit ligand that would bind to glucan receptors on human U937 cells using laminarin-derived pentaose, hexaose, and heptaose glucan polymers.

Patchen ML, MacVittie TJ, Solberg BD, D'Alesandro MM, Brook I.
Radioprotection by polysaccharides alone and in combination with aminothiols. Adv Space Res. 1992;12(2-3):233-48. PMID: 11537014 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Jojima H.
Early diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary opportunistic infection by using polymerase chain reaction and beta-glucan in patients with hematological neoplasms. Kurume Med J. 2001;48(2):117-27. PMID: 11501492 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Masubuchi K, Okada T, Kohchi M, Murata T, Tsukazaki M, Kondoh O, Yamazaki T, Satoh Y, Ono Y, Tsukaguchi T, Kobayashi K, Ono N, Inoue T, Horii I, Shimma N.
Synthesis and antifungal activities of novel 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase inhibitors. Part 2. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2001 May 21;11(10):1273-6. PMID: 11392535 [PubMed - in process]

Bobek P, Galbavy S.
Effect of pleuran (beta-glucan from Pleurotus ostreatus) on the antioxidant status of the organism and on dimethylhydrazine-induced precancerous lesions in rat colon. Br J Biomed Sci. 2001;58(3):164-8. PMID: 11575739 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Zhang L, Zhang M, Zhou Q, Chen J, Zeng F.
Solution properties of antitumor sulfated derivative of alpha-(1--3)-D-glucan from Ganoderma lucidum. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2000 Oct;64(10):2172-8. PMID: 11129591 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Fullerton SA, Samadi AA, Tortorelis DG, Choudhury MS, Mallouh C, Tazaki H, Konno S.
Induction of apoptosis in human prostatic cancer cells with beta-glucan (Maitake mushroom polysaccharide).Mol Urol. 2000 Spring;4(1):7-13.PMID: 10851301 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Kohno S.
[Fungal infections in immunocompromised patients] Nippon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi. 2000;41(2):71-6. Review. Japanese. PMID: 10777816 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Tokunaka K, Ohno N, Adachi Y, Tanaka S, Tamura H, Yadomae T.
Immunopharmacological and immunotoxicological activities of a water-soluble (1--3)-beta-D-glucan, CSBG from Candida spp.Int J Immunopharmacol. 2000 May;22(5):383-94. PMID: 10708886 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Ooi VE, Liu F.
Immunomodulation and anti-cancer activity of polysaccharide-protein complexes. Curr Med Chem. 2000 Jul;7(7):715-29. Review. PMID: 10702635 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Yan J, Vetvicka V, Xia Y, Coxon A, Carroll MC, Mayadas TN, Ross GD. Beta-glucan, a "specific" biologic response modifier that uses antibodies to target tumors for cytotoxic recognition by leukocyte complement receptor type 3 (CD11b/CD18). J IMMUPRO™ . 1999 Sep 15;163(6):3045-52. PMID: 10477568 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]