Table 1.

In vitro studies evaluating the immunomodulatory effects of β-glucans on human innate immunity cells.

Compound (Concentration Range 1)	Cell Type	Effects	Molecular Mechanisms	Refs
Agaricus brasiliensis acid-treated polysaccharide-rich fraction (50 µg/mL)	Monocytes	↑ Adherence ↑ Phagocytosis ↑ TNFα , IL-1β, IL-10	↑ TLR2 and TLR4 = βGR or MR	[39]
Flammulina velutipes extract	Monocytes Macrophages	↑ Cytokine production ↑ Phagocytosis ↑ ROS		[40]
Agaricus blazei Murill extract (1–15%)	Monocytes	↑ IL-8, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6		[41]
Agaricus blazei Murill extract (0.5–15%)	Monocytes	↑ Phagocytosis	↑ CD11b ↓ CD62L	[42]
Pleurotus citrinopileatus polysaccharide (PCPS, 0.5 µg/mL)	Monocytes Macrophages	Differentiation of monocytes toward macrophages (IFNγ + LPS) with reduced proinflammatory capacity: ↓ TNFα, IL-6 and CCR2 mRNA ↑ IL-10, CCL2 and CCL8 mRNA	Dectin-1 and TLR2 signaling pathways	[43]
Piptoporus betulinus extract	Monocytes	↓ Apoptosis ↑ IL-8		[44]
	MDDC	↑ Maturation ↑ IL-8
Pleurotus citrinopileatus polysaccharide (PCPS, 0.01–5 µg/mL)	MDDC	↑ CD80, CD86, HLA-DR ↑ Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, IL-10) ↑ mRNA: CCL2, CCL3, CCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, and LTA	Dectin-1, TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways	[45]
Armillariella mellea water-soluble components (2–20 µg/mL)	MDDC	↑ CD80, CD83, CD86, MHC class I and II, CD205 ↓ CD206 ↓ Endocytic capacity = TNFα, IL-12, IL-10		[46]
Hericium erinaceum water-soluble components (2–20 µg/mL)	MDDC	↑ CD80, CD83, CD86, MHC class I and II, CD205 ↓ CD206 ↓ Endocytic capacity = TNFα, IL-12		[47]
Agaricus blazei Murill Extract (10% ABM = 2.8 g of β-glucan/100 g)	MDDC	↑ IL-8, G-CSF, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, CCL4		[48]
Various higher Basidiomycetes exctracts (0.0005–5 mg/mL)	Neutrophils	↑ ROS		[49]
Pleurotus ostreatus β-glucans extracted from fruiting bodies (5 mg/mL)	NK	↑ Cytotoxic effects against lung and breast cancer cell lines	↑ KIR2DL genes ↑ NKG2D, IFNγ, NO	[50]
Grifola frondosa polysaccharide (10 mg/L), Lentinan (500 mg/L), Yeast glucan (100 mg/L)	NK	↑ Cytotoxicity, IFNγ, perforin secretion	↑ NKp30 expression	[51]
Saccaromyces cerevisiae glucan from baker’s yeast and zymosan (10 or 100 µg/mL)	Macrophages	↑ IL-1β transcription and secretion	Dectin 1/Syk signaling pathway NLPR3 activation	[52]
Saccaromyces cerevisiae whole β-glucan particles (100 µg/mL)	MDDC	↑ CD40, CD86, HLA-DR ↑ IL12, IL-2, TNF, IFNγ ↑ CD8 T cell priming ↑ Tumor-specific CTL activity	PI3K/Akt signalling	[53]
Saccaromyces cerevisiae baker’s yeast	MDDC	↑ Th17 cells ↑ Adhesion and migration	IL-1α, IFNγ	[54]
Saccharomyces cerevisiae zymosan (1 mg/mL)	MDDC	↑ IL-23	LTB4, PAF	[55]
Saccharomyces cerevisiae zymosan (1 mg/mL)	MDDC Macrophages	↑ p-STAT3 ↑ mRNA: IL-10, IL-23, INF1B, CSF1, CSF2 and CSF3	PGE2	[56]
Saccaromyces cerevisiae Imprime PGG (10 µg/mL)	Monocytes	↑ ADCP ↑ C5a ↑ IL-8, CCL2 ↑ CD11b ↓ CD62L, CD88, CXCR2 ↑ Phenotypic and functional activation	Formation of an immune complex with naturally occurring ABA	[57]
	Neutrophils	↑ ROS ↑ IL-8, CCL2 ↑ CD11b ↓ CD62L, CD88, CXCR2
Saccaromyces cerevisiae Betafectin PGG (0–300 µg/mL)	Neutrophils	↑ Chemotaxis toward C5a ↓ Chemotaxis toward IL-8	CR3-dependent	[58]
Barley polysaccharides (100 µg/mL)	MDDC	↑ Phenotypic and functional maturation of DC ↑ IL-12, IL-10		[59]
Barley β-glucan	Umbilical cord blood-generated DC	↓ CCL2 ↑ CD83 cells		[60]

Abbreviations: anti-β glucan antibodies, ABA; antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis, ADCP; β-glucan receptor, βGR; cytotoxic T lymphocyte, CTL; dendritic cells, DC; Killer immunoglobulin receptor, KIR; Lymphotoxin a, LTA; leukotriene B4, LTB4; monocyte-derived dendritic cells, MDDC; mannose receptor, MR; natural killer, NK; nitric oxide, NO; platelet-activating factor, PAF; prostaglandin E2, PGE2; reactive oxygen species, ROS. ¹ β-glucan concentrations are shown when available.