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Aerobic exercise and thermal stress instigate robust challenges to the immune system. Various attempts to modify or supplement the diet have been proposed to bolster the immune system responses. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of yeast beta-glucan (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation. Healthy, active men (29.6 ± 6.7 years, 178.1 ± 7.2 cm, 83.2 ± 11.2 kg, 49.6 ± 5.1 mL/kg/min, n = 16) and women (30.1 ± 8.9 years, 165.6 ± 4.1 cm, 66.7 ± 10.0 kg, 38.7 ± 5.8 mL/kg/min, n = 15) were randomly assigned in a double-blind and cross-over fashion to supplement for 13 days with either 250 mg/day of yeast beta-glucan (YBG) or a maltodextrin placebo (PLA). Participants arrived fasted and completed a bout of treadmill exercise at 55% peak aerobic capacity (VO2Peak) in a hot (37.2 ± 1.8 °C) and humid (45.2 ± 8.8%) environment. Prior to and 0, 2, and 72 h after completing exercise, changes in white blood cell counts, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, markers of muscle damage, markers of muscle function, soreness, and profile of mood states (POMS) were assessed. In response to exercise and heat, both groups experienced significant increases in white blood cell counts, plasma creatine kinase and myoglobin, and soreness along with reductions in peak torque and total work with no between-group differences. Concentrations of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines in YBG were lower than PLA for macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP-1β) (p = 0.044) and tended to be lower for interleukin 8 (IL-8) (p = 0.079), monocyte chemoattractment protein 1 (MCP-1) (p = 0.095), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (p = 0.085). Paired samples t-tests using delta values between baseline and 72 h post-exercise revealed significant differences between groups for IL-8 (p = 0.044, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): (0.013, 0.938, d = −0.34), MCP-1 (p = 0.038, 95% CI: 0.087, 2.942, d = −0.33), and MIP-1β (p = 0.010, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.85, d = −0.33). POMS outcomes changed across time with anger scores in PLA exhibiting a sharper decline than YBG (p = 0.04). Vigor scores (p = 0.04) in YBG remained stable while scores in PLA were significantly reduced 72 h after exercise. In conclusion, a 13-day prophylactic period of supplementation with 250 mg of yeast-derived beta-glucans invoked favorable changes in cytokine markers of inflammation after completing a prolonged bout of heated treadmill exercise.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pleuran (β-glucan isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus ) on asthma control and respiratory morbidity in children on conventional GINA-based asthma treatment who had partially controlled perennial asthma. A double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre clinical trial with a 2-arm, parallel design was conducted across three countries; 230 children aged 7 to 17 years were randomised (1:1) into an active group (receiving a pleuran/vitamin C combination) or a placebo group (receiving vitamin C only). This study consisted of 24 weeks of treatment (2 capsules a day) and then 24 weeks of follow-up. The primary endpoints included the effects of active treatment versus placebo on asthma control and respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Secondary endpoints included changes in the following measures: number of asthma exacerbations, with or without respiratory infection; quality of life of both asthmatic children and their caregivers; spirometric indices; fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels; safety after 24 weeks of treatment and also after the full 48-week study period. Overall, 206 children completed this study; 113 of these children were in the active group and received a pleuran/vitamin C combination for 24 weeks. After the 24-week treatment period, children below 12 years of age who were in the active group achieved significant improvements in asthma control compared to those in the placebo group (21.8 ± 3.5 vs. 20.3 ± 4.0; P  = 0.02); while children at least 12 years old who were in the active group reported lower numbers of RTIs (0.7 ± 1.0 vs. 1.9 ± 1.7; P  = 0.002) compared to children of this age in the placebo group. In addition, children below 12 years of age in the active group showed a significant decrease in asthma exacerbations compared to those in the placebo group (2.5 ± 1.6 vs. 3.3 ± 1.9; P  = 0.05). At the end of the 48-week trial, a statistically significant improvement in asthma control was observed in 84.7% of children who received pleuran/vitamin C treatment compared to 67.0% of children who received vitamin C only ( P  = 0.01). The pleuran/vitamin C combined treatment was safe and well-tolerated, and no related serious adverse events were reported. This study highlights the favourable safety profile of pleuran/vitamin C supplementation and demonstrates positive effects of this treatment on asthma control and RTI incidence in children with allergic perennial asthma that was partially controlled by conventional therapy.

•β-glucans are biological response modifiers with rich sources and diverse structures.•Extensive studies of β-glucan have been carried out to demonstrate its adjuvant activity on anti-infection vaccination and anti-tumor therapy.•The immunoadjuvant effects of β-glucans are mainly depending on the recognition of specific receptors such as dectin-1 and CR3. β-glucans, a group of polysaccharides exist in many organism species such as mushrooms, yeasts, oats, barley, seaweed, but not mammalians, have a variety of biological activities and applications in drugs and other healthcare products. In recent years, β-glucans have been studied as adjuvants in anti-infection vaccines as well as immunomodulators in anti-cancer immunotherapy. β-glucans can regulate immune responses when administered alone and can connect innate and adaptive immunity to improve immunogenicity of vaccines. When β-glucans act as immunostimulants or adjuvants, a set of receptors have been revealed to recognize β-glucans, including dectin-1, complement receptor 3 (CR3), CD5, lactosylceramide, and so on. Therefore, this review is mainly focused on the application of β-glucans as immune adjuvants, the receptors of β-glucans, as well as their structure and activity relationship which will benefit future research of β-glucans.

Background/Objectives: The effects of sweetened and unsweetened high β-glucan whole grain barley on postprandial blood glucose response in normoglycemic human subjects were evaluated in a randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial. Methods: Sixteen healthy, over-night fasted participants were studied on four or eight separate occasions. Participants consumed an unsweetened preload condition (n = 16): white glutinous rice (WR; 0 g β-glucan), low β-glucan barley (LB; ~4 g), medium β-glucan barley (MB; ~5 g), or high β-glucan barley (HB; ~6 g); or a sweetened condition with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS; n = 8): WR + 50 g HFCS, LB + 50 g HFCS, MB + 50 g HFCS, or HB + 50 g HFCS. After consuming the preload as a breakfast food, participants self-administered blood glucose tests every 15 min for four hours. Results: In both sweetened and unsweetened conditions, higher β-glucan content was associated with lower blood glucose peak response and incremental area under the curve estimates (iAUC). In comparison to the unsweetened conditions, the sweetened conditions resulted in less prominent decreases in mean blood glucose response and iAUC blood glucose as β-glucan content increased. Conclusions: By attenuating postprandial glycemic response, high β-glucan whole grain barley foods could play a role in helping to control blood glucose.

Beta-glucans comprise a group of polysaccharides of natural origin found in bacteria, algae, and plants, e.g., cereal seeds, as well as microfungi and macrofungi (mushrooms), which are characterized by diverse structures and functions. They are known for their metabolic and immunomodulatory properties, including anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral. Recent reports suggest a potential of beta-glucans in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. In contrast to β-glucans from other sources, β-glucans from mushrooms are characterized by β-1,3-glucans with short β-1,6-side chains. This structure is recognized by receptors located on the surface of immune cells; thus, mushroom β-glucans have specific immunomodulatory properties and gained BRM (biological response modifier) status. Moreover, mushroom beta-glucans also owe their properties to the formation of triple helix conformation, which is one of the key factors influencing the bioactivity of mushroom beta-glucans. This review summarizes the latest findings on biological and health-promoting potential of mushroom beta-glucans for the treatment of civilization and viral diseases, with particular emphasis on COVID-19.

Cereal β-glucans are dietary fibres primarily found in oats and barley, and have several positive effects on health, including lowering the postprandial glucose response and the improvement of blood cholesterol levels. Cereal β-glucans have a specific combination of β-(1→4) and β-(1→3) linkages into linear long-chain polysaccharides of high molecular weight. Due to their particular structure, cereal β-glucans generate viscosity within the intestinal tract, which is thought to be the main mechanism of action responsible for their positive health effects. However, cereal grains are rarely consumed raw; at least one cooking step is generally required before they can be safely eaten. Cooking and processing methods more generally will modify the physicochemical characteristics of β-glucans, such as molecular weight, extractability and the resulting viscosity. Therefore, the health impact of β-glucans will depend not only on the dose administered, but also on the ways they are processed or converted into food products. This review aims at summarizing the different parameters that can affect β-glucans efficacy to improve glucose and lipid metabolism in humans.

Prolonged and exhausting physical activity causes numerous changes in immunity and sometimes transient increases the risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Nutritional supplements as countermeasures to exercise-induced changes have increasingly been studied in the last decade. One of the most promising nutritional supplements is β-glucan, a well-known immunomodulator with positive effects on the function of immunocompetent cells. In this double blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigated the effect of pleuran, an insoluble β-(1,3/1,6) glucan from mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus , on selected cellular immune responses and incidence of URTI symptoms in athletes. Fifty athletes were randomized to pleuran or placebo group, taking pleuran (commercial name Imunoglukan ® ) or placebo supplements during 3 months. Venous whole blood was collected before and after 3 months of supplementation and additionally 3 months after supplementation period was completed. Incidence of URTI symptoms together with characterization of changes in phagocytosis and natural killer (NK) cell count was monitored during the study. We found that pleuran significantly reduced the incidence of URTI symptoms and increased the number of circulating NK cells. In addition, the phagocytosis process remained stable in pleuran group during the study in contrast to placebo group where significant reduction of phagocytosis was observed. These findings indicate that pleuran may serve as an effective nutritional supplement for athletes under heavy physical training. Additional research is needed to determine the mechanisms of pleuran function.

Oat and barley foods have been shown to reduce human glycaemic response, compared to similar wheat foods or a glucose control. The strength of the evidence supporting the hypothesis that the soluble fibre, mixed linkage β-glucan, reduces glycaemic response was evaluated. A search of the literature was conducted to find clinical trials with acute glycaemic response as an end point using oat or barley products. Of the 76 human studies identified, 34 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Dose response and ratio of β-glucan to available carbohydrate as predictors of glycaemic response were assessed. Meals provided 0.3–12.1 g oat or barley β-glucan, and reduced glycaemic response by an average of 48±33 mmol·min/l compared to a suitable control. Regression analysis on 119 treatments indicated that change in glycaemic response (expressed as incremental area under the post-prandial blood-glucose curve) was greater for intact grains than for processed foods. For processed foods, glycaemic response was more strongly related to the β-glucan dose alone ( r 2 =0.48, P <0.0001) than to the ratio of β-glucan to the available carbohydrate ( r 2 =0.25, P <0.0001). For processed foods containing 4 g of β-glucan, the linear model predicted a decrease in glycaemic response of 27±3 mmol·min/l, and 76% of treatments significantly reduced glycaemic response. Thus, intact grains as well as a variety of processed oat and barley foods containing at least 4 g of β-glucan and 30–80 g available carbohydrate can significantly reduce post-prandial blood glucose.

Oats are a rich source of β-glucan, a viscous, soluble fibre recognised for its cholesterol-lowering properties, and are associated with reduced risk of CVD. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials (RCT) investigating the cholesterol-lowering potential of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for the risk reduction of CVD. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched. We included RCT of ≥3 weeks of follow-up, assessing the effect of diets enriched with oat β-glucan compared with controlled diets on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol or apoB. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed study quality and risk of bias. Data were pooled using the generic inverse-variance method with random effects models and expressed as mean differences with 95 % CI. Heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran’s Q statistic and quantified by the I 2-statistic. In total, fifty-eight trials (n 3974) were included. A median dose of 3·5 g/d of oat β-glucan significantly lowered LDL-cholesterol (−0·19; 95 % CI −0·23, −0·14 mmol/l, P<0·00001), non-HDL-cholesterol (−0·20; 95 % CI −0·26, −0·15 mmol/l, P<0·00001) and apoB (−0·03; 95 % CI −0·05, −0·02 g/l, P<0·0001) compared with control interventions. There was evidence for considerable unexplained heterogeneity in the analysis of LDL-cholesterol (I 2=79 %) and non-HDL-cholesterol (I 2=99 %). Pooled analyses showed that oat β-glucan has a lowering effect on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB. Inclusion of oat-containing foods may be a strategy for achieving targets in CVD reduction.

Summary Background BTH1677 is a beta glucan pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) currently being investigated as a novel cancer therapy. Here, the initial safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) results of BTH1677 in healthy subjects are reported. Subjects and Methods In the Phase 1a single-dosing study, subjects were randomized (3:1 per cohort) to a single intravenous (iv) infusion of BTH1677 at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, or 6 mg/kg or placebo, respectively. In the Phase 1b multi-dosing study, subjects were randomized (3:1 per cohort) to 7 daily iv infusions of BTH1677 at 1, 2, or 4 mg/kg or placebo, respectively. Safety and PK non-compartmental analyses were performed. Results Thirty-six subjects ( N  = 24 Phase 1a; N  = 12 Phase 1b) were randomized to treatment. No deaths or serious adverse events occurred in either study. Mild or moderate adverse events (AEs) occurred in 67 % of BTH1677-treated subjects in both studies. Treatment-related AEs (occurring in ≥10 % of subjects) included dyspnea, flushing, headache, nausea, paraesthesia, and rash in Phase 1a and conjunctivitis and headache in Phase 1b. BTH1677 serum concentration was linear with dose. Clearance, serum elimination half-life (t 1/2 ) and volume of distribution (Vss) were BTH1677 dose-independent. In Phase 1b, area under the curve, t 1/2 , and Vss values were larger at steady state on days 6–30 versus day 0. Conclusions BTH1677 was well tolerated after single doses up to 6 mg/kg and after 7 daily doses up to 4 mg/kg.