Pharmacological, structural, and drug delivery properties and applications of 1,3-β-glucans

J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Jul 13;59(13):6813-28. doi: 10.1021/jf200964u. Epub 2011 Jun 7.

Abstract

1,3-β-Glucans are a class of natural polysaccharides with unique pharmacological properties and the ability to form single- and triple-helical structures that can be formed into resilient gels with the application of heat and humidity. The pharmacological capabilities of 1,3-β-glucans include the impartation of tumor inhibition, resistance to infectious disease, and improvements in wound healing. Curdlan is a linear 1,3-β-glucan that has been used extensively to study the nature of these helical structures and gels, and Curdlan sulfates have found ongoing application in the inhibition of HIV infection. 1,3-β-Glucan gels have been used in food science as stabilizers and encapsulating agents, in nanoscience as scaffolds to build nanofibers and nanowires, and in drug delivery to form nanoparticles and create helical micelles encapsulating polynucleotides. 1,3-β-Glucans are beginning to have enormous significance due to their dual nature as structure-forming agents and pharmacological substances, and research is especially focused on the application of these polymers in animal nutrition and drug delivery.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Anticarcinogenic Agents
  • Carbohydrate Conformation
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Gels
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Wound Healing
  • beta-Glucans / administration & dosage
  • beta-Glucans / chemistry
  • beta-Glucans / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Anticarcinogenic Agents
  • Gels
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • beta-Glucans
  • curdlan
  • beta-1,3-glucan