Beta glucan

Beta glucan

Beta glucan

Clinical overview

Use

dosage

Dosage recommendations for the specific beta-glucan sources can be found in the individual monographs.

Contraindications

Information on the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

Pregnancy/breastfeeding

There is a lack of information on safety and effectiveness during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Information on the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

Interactions

Information on interactions associated with the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

Side effects

Inhaling beta-glucan particles has been shown to have acute negative effects (i.e. an increase) on blood pressure.

Information on adverse events associated with the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

toxicology

Toxicological information on the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

source

Natural sources of beta-glucans include mushroom cell walls, algae, oats and barley. Although they are collectively referred to as beta-glucans, there are differences in composition due to their origin from different natural sources. Due to different growth conditions, batch variations also occur. To overcome such fluctuations, synthetic substances are being developed, but until these are generally available, information on beta-glucans depends on the source: See individual monographs on brewer's yeast, lentinan (shiitake), maitake (grifola), seaweed, oats, and barley. Kim 2006, Laroche 2007, Novak 2009

Story

Beta-glucans are used in traditional medicine, particularly in Japan, and have been studied for many years, particularly for their potential use as immunomodulators. Traditional Chinese and Asian medicines used medicinal mushrooms as a source of beta-glucan, while early research in the United States focused on the immunomodulatory effects of zymosan, which is derived from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Novak 2009

Chemistry

Beta-glucans are carbohydrates; In particular, they are polymers made of glucose units, either linear (with beta-1,3-glycosidic bonds) or branched with side chains (with beta-1,6-glycosidic bonds). Beta-glucans from mushrooms and the cell wall of baker's yeast are composed of D-glucose with beta-1,3 bonds and some beta-1,6 side branches, while the composition of beta-glucan from grains is unbranched and contains beta-1, 3 and beta-1,4 glycosidic bonds. Laroche 2007, Nieman 2008, Novak 2009

Use and Pharmacology

Reviews provide an overview of the beta-glucans (Chen 2007, Chen 2008, Mantovani 2008, Novak 2008, Novak 2009, Volman 2008) as well as meta-analyses of studies using grain beta-glucan for the modification of lipids and lentinan in gastric cancer. (Haggård 2013, Kelly 2007, Oba 2009, Talati 2009) Clinical trials and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of beta-glucan extract on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity (He 2016) and beta-glucan extract. the antimicrobial, wound healing and immunomodulatory activities of glucan. (Garcia 2014, Koray 2009, Yenidogan 2014) Beta-glucan supplementation as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in patients with a variety of advanced malignancies has been well tolerated and may have beneficial effects; Further studies are required. (Weitberg 2008)

Note: If the source of beta-glucan extract used for a study was not clearly defined, the data were included in this monograph. More detailed, source-specific study information can be found in the individual monographs on the beta-glucan sources (brewer's yeast, lentinan). [shiitake]Maitake [grifola]seaweed, oats and barley).

Antimicrobial activity

Clinical data

In a 27-year-old man, beta-glucan 5 mg/week as an adjuvant to itraconazole 200 mg/day was effective in the treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis skin lesions that were initially unresponsive to itraconazole monotherapy. (Garcia 2014)

GI effects

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) clinical guideline for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (2021) suggests using soluble, but not insoluble, fiber to treat global IBS symptoms (strong; moderate). (Lacy 2021)

Immune modulation/wound healing

Clinical data

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated improved ulcer severity scores and improved lymphocyte proliferation in 31 patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) given 10 mg beta-glucan twice daily for 20 days. Lymphocyte proliferation, which was lower at baseline in the 31 RAS patients compared to 42 healthy controls, increased significantly in RAS patients receiving beta-glucan treatment compared to baseline (P = 0) and compared to RAS patients receiving placebo (P = 0.03). . Likewise, ulcer severities decreased in the beta-glucan group compared to baseline (P=0). (Koray 2009) A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study conducted on 130 women undergoing modified radical mastectomy examined the effects of beta-glucan. Glucan capsules (10 mg twice daily orally for 10 days after surgery) on postoperative seroma drainage fluid. Compared to placebo, beta-glucan improved drainage volume (p = 0.002) and mean time to drain removal (average 7.16 days versus 8.59 days for placebo; p = 0.001), as well as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels. (Yenidogan 2014)

Topical application of beta-glucan gel was evaluated for its effects on wound healing in a study of 39 patients, with 26 patients completing the minimum four-week study period required for evaluation. During the 12-week evaluation period, 7 wounds were completely healed, 8 had greater than 50% reduction in size, 5 showed moderate healing progress, and 6 did not respond to treatment. (King 2017)

dosage

Dosage recommendations for the specific beta-glucan sources can be found in the individual monographs.

Pregnancy/breastfeeding

There is a lack of information on safety and effectiveness during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Information on the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

Interactions

Information on interactions associated with the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

Side effects

In a single-blind, randomized, controlled-exposure, crossover study conducted in 50 healthy adults, an acute negative effect on blood pressure (i.e., an increase) was found with the inhalation of beta-1,3-D-glucan particles. In contrast to endotoxin, no effect on pulse pressure was observed for beta-glucan particles.Zhong 2015

Information on adverse events associated with the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

toxicology

Toxicological information on the specific sources of beta-glucan can be found in the individual monographs.

References

Disclaimer

This information relates to an herbal, vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplement. This product has not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness by the FDA and is not subject to the quality and safety information collection standards that apply to most prescription drugs. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this product. This information does not confirm that this product is safe, effective, or approved to treat any patient or medical condition. This is just a brief summary of general information about this product. It does NOT contain all information about the possible uses, instructions, warnings, precautions, interactions, side effects or risks that may apply to this product. This information does not constitute specific medical advice and does not replace the information you receive from your healthcare provider. You should speak to your doctor to get complete information about the risks and benefits of using this product.

This product may interact negatively with certain health and medical conditions, other prescription and over-the-counter medications, foods or other dietary supplements. This product may be unsafe if used before surgery or other medical procedures. It is important to fully inform your doctor about the herbs, vitamins, minerals, or other supplements you are taking before any surgery or medical procedure. With the exception of certain products generally considered safe in normal amounts, including the use of folic acid and prenatal vitamins during pregnancy, this product has not been adequately studied to determine whether it is safe for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or in those younger than 2 years of age.

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