93
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
A. Gani, B. A. Ashwar (eds.), Food biopolymers: Structural, functional
and nutraceutical properties, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27061-2_5
Beta-Glucans
Nusrat Jan, Touseef Ahmed Wani, F. A. Masoodi, Adil Gani, and H. R. Naik
Introduction
β-Glucans belongs to a group of non-starch polysaccharides that are unbranched
homopolymers of D-Glcp, joined by β (1→3) and β (1→4) linkages ([4)-β-D-Glcp(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→]n). β-glucans are primarily isolated from
cell walls of fungi like mushrooms and yeast, cereals like oats and barley and
numerous bacteria (Novak and Vetvicka 2009). β-glucans from mushrooms consists
of glucopyranose molecules coupled by (1→3) β-linkages and small number of
branches bound by (1→6) β-linkages, whereas glucopyranose molecules in cereal
β-glucans are joined by (1→3) β- and (1→4) β-linkages (Laroche and Michaud
2007). Depending on the source of extraction, β-glucans strongly differ in biological and physiochemical properties (Auinger et al. 2013). Further, degrees of purification, as well as the extraction method, also influence the physiological activity of
β-glucans (Vetvicka and Vetvickova 2007).
β-glucan, being as dietary fibre, is related to a variety of health benefits for the
consumer and has been approved by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) (2008) and the scientific panel of the EU (2010). Due to the fascinating biological properties of β-glucans, they are used for various medical and pharmaceutical applications like lowering blood total cholesterol and blood lipid profiles,
moreover as in maintaining body weight (Behall et al. 2004; Liatis et al. 2009).
β-glucans have been reported to have synergistic effects such as antioxidant, antigenotoxic, and antimutagenic activities (Kogan et al. 2008). Immune-stimulating
activity of oat β-glucans and mushroom β-glucans has additionally been reviewed
(Daou and Zhang 2012; Ooi and Liu 2000). Lentinan, schizophyllan, and krestin
N. Jan (*) · H. R. Naik
SKUAST-K, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
T. A. Wani · F. A. Masoodi · A. Gani
University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
A. Gani, B. A. Ashwar (eds.), Food biopolymers: Structural, functional
and nutraceutical properties, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27061-2_5
Beta-Glucans
Nusrat Jan, Touseef Ahmed Wani, F. A. Masoodi, Adil Gani, and H. R. Naik
Introduction
β-Glucans belongs to a group of non-starch polysaccharides that are unbranched
homopolymers of D-Glcp, joined by β (1→3) and β (1→4) linkages ([4)-β-D-Glcp(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→]n). β-glucans are primarily isolated from
cell walls of fungi like mushrooms and yeast, cereals like oats and barley and
numerous bacteria (Novak and Vetvicka 2009). β-glucans from mushrooms consists
of glucopyranose molecules coupled by (1→3) β-linkages and small number of
branches bound by (1→6) β-linkages, whereas glucopyranose molecules in cereal
β-glucans are joined by (1→3) β- and (1→4) β-linkages (Laroche and Michaud
2007). Depending on the source of extraction, β-glucans strongly differ in biological and physiochemical properties (Auinger et al. 2013). Further, degrees of purification, as well as the extraction method, also influence the physiological activity of
β-glucans (Vetvicka and Vetvickova 2007).
β-glucan, being as dietary fibre, is related to a variety of health benefits for the
consumer and has been approved by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) (2008) and the scientific panel of the EU (2010). Due to the fascinating biological properties of β-glucans, they are used for various medical and pharmaceutical applications like lowering blood total cholesterol and blood lipid profiles,
moreover as in maintaining body weight (Behall et al. 2004; Liatis et al. 2009).
β-glucans have been reported to have synergistic effects such as antioxidant, antigenotoxic, and antimutagenic activities (Kogan et al. 2008). Immune-stimulating
activity of oat β-glucans and mushroom β-glucans has additionally been reviewed
(Daou and Zhang 2012; Ooi and Liu 2000). Lentinan, schizophyllan, and krestin
N. Jan (*) · H. R. Naik
SKUAST-K, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
T. A. Wani · F. A. Masoodi · A. Gani
University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India