Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, 762 72 Zlin, Czech Republic.
Nutr Rev. 2009 Nov;67(11):624-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00230.x.
Together with chitin, the beta-glucans are components of mycetes' cell walls. A high level of biological efficiency has been found in beta-glucans, especially beta-1,3-D-glucans and beta-1,6-D-glucans isolated from some basidiomycetes. (Biological efficiency refers to the relative ability of beta-glucans to promote a desired response, for example to induce leukocyte activation and to produce inflammatory mediators.) These polysaccharides increase the number of Th1 lymphocytes, which help protect organisms against allergic reactions. A number of beta-glucans, for example pleuran from Oyster (Pleurotus spp.) mushrooms or lentinan from Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushrooms, have shown marked anticarcinogenic activity. In addition to having an immunity-stimulating effect, beta-glucans may participate in physiological processes related to the metabolism of fats in the human body. Their application results in a decrease in the total cholesterol content in blood and may also contribute to reductions in body weight.
β-葡聚糖与几丁质一起构成了真菌细胞壁的组成部分。从某些担子菌中分离出的β-1,3-D-葡聚糖和β-1,6-D-葡聚糖具有很高的生物效率。（生物效率是指β-葡聚糖促进所需反应的相对能力，例如诱导白细胞活化和产生炎症介质。）这些多糖增加了 Th1 淋巴细胞的数量，有助于保护机体免受过敏反应的影响。一些β-葡聚糖，例如来自牡蛎（Pleurotus spp.）蘑菇的聚葡萄糖或来自香菇（Lentinus edodes）蘑菇的香菇多糖，具有显著的抗癌活性。除了具有免疫刺激作用外，β-葡聚糖可能还参与与人体脂肪代谢相关的生理过程。它们的应用可降低血液中的总胆固醇含量，并有助于减轻体重。
