Beta Glucan: Supplement or Drug? From Laboratory to Clinical Trials

Glucans are part of a group of biologically active natural molecules and are steadily gaining strong attention not only as an important food supplement, but also as an immunostimulant and potential drug. This paper represents an up-to-date review of glucans (β-1,3-glucans) and their role in various...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2019-03, Vol.24 (7), p.1251
Main Authors: Vetvicka, Vaclav, Vannucci, Luca, Sima, Petr, Richter, Josef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjuvants, Immunologic - chemistry
Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology
Agaricales - chemistry
Animals
Antineoplastic Agents - chemistry
Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology
beta-Glucans - chemistry
beta-Glucans - pharmacology
Biological activity
Biological effects
Clinical trials
Cytokines
Dietary Supplements
drug
Experiments
Food
Gene Expression Regulation
Glucan
Glucans
Humans
Hyperplasia
Immune system
Immune System - drug effects
immunity
Immunostimulants
infection
Infections
Infectious diseases
Malnutrition
Medical research
mushrooms
Nutrition
Nutritive Value
Review
Signal Transduction
supplement
Trace elements
Vitamins
β-Glucan
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Summary:Glucans are part of a group of biologically active natural molecules and are steadily gaining strong attention not only as an important food supplement, but also as an immunostimulant and potential drug. This paper represents an up-to-date review of glucans (β-1,3-glucans) and their role in various immune reactions and the treatment of cancer. With more than 80 clinical trials evaluating their biological effects, the question is not if glucans will move from food supplement to widely accepted drug, but how soon.
ISSN:1420-3049
1420-3049
DOI:10.3390/molecules24071251