Table 2.
Main clinical studies evaluating the immunomodulatory effects of β-glucans in healthy subjects.
| Compound (Concentration Range 1) | Subjects/Study Type | Control Group | β-glucan Group | Major Findings | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pleurotus ostreatus β-glucan (Pleuran, 100 mg/day) |
Regularly training athletes/Randomized | Vitamin C (n = 25) |
β-glucan + vitamin C (n = 25) |
↑ NK cell frequency ↑ PMN-mediated phagocytosis ↓ URTI symptom incidence |
[63] |
| Pleurotus ostreatus β-glucan (Pleuran, 100 mg/day) | Elite athletes/Randomized | Fructose + vitamin C (n = 11) | β-glucan + vitamin C (n = 9) |
Restrained high intensity PA-induced reduction of NK cell number and activity = Monocyte and granulocyte counts |
[64] |
| Pleurotus cornucopiae water extract (β-glucan 24 mg/meal) | Healthy volunteers/ Randomized |
Water, tea, oyster souce, caffeine-free coffee (n = 21) |
β-glucan + water, tea, oyster souce, caffeine-free coffee (n = 20) | ↑ NK cell activity ↑ Th1-type response |
[65] |
| Agaricus blazei Murill extract (AndoSan, 60 mL/day = 5.7 g β-glucan) | Healthy volunteers/Intervention study | None | Mushroom extract (n = 10) |
↓ Intracellular ROS in monocytes and granulocytes vs baseline | [66] |
| Grifola frondosa extract (6 mg/kg/day) | Myelodysplastic syndrome patients/ Non randomized phase II trial |
None | Mushroom extract (n = 21) |
↑ Neutrophil and monocyte functions (ROS production) | [67] |
| Oat soluble β-glucan (5.6 g) |
Trained male cyclists (on intense exercise)/ Randomized |
Cornstarch + Gatorade (n = 20) |
β-glucan (Oatvantge) + Gatorade (n = 20) |
No rescue of NK cell activity No rescue of PNM-RBA No effect on URTI symptom incidence |
[68] |
|
Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-glucan (Purified, Imuneks, 20 mg/day) |
Subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis (allergen sensitized)/ Randomized | Nihil (n = 12) |
β-glucan (n = 12) |
↓ Eosinophil frequency in the nasal fluid lavage | [69] |
|
Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-glucan (insoluble, 1 g/day) |
Healthy volunteers/ Intervention study |
Nihil (n = 5) |
β-glucan (n = 10) |
No effect on phagocyte functions (cytokine production + microbicide activity) | [70] |
Abbreviations: Natural Killer, NK; Physical activity, PA; Polymorphonuclear leukocyte, PMN; Reactive oxygen species, ROS; Respiratory burst activity, RBA; Subjects’ number, N; T helper, Th; Upper respiratory tract infection, URTI. 1 β-glucan concentrations are shown when available.