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Review
. 2017 Sep 6;18(9):1629.
doi: 10.3390/ijms18091629.

Overview of β-Glucans from Laminaria spp.: Immunomodulation Properties and Applications on Biologic Models

Patrícia de Souza Bonfim-Mendonça  1 , Isis Regina Grenier Capoci  2 , Flávia Kelly Tobaldini-Valerio  3 , Melyssa Negri  4 , Terezinha Inez Estivalet Svidzinski  5
Affiliations
Review

Overview of β-Glucans from Laminaria spp.: Immunomodulation Properties and Applications on Biologic Models

Patrícia de Souza Bonfim-Mendonça et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Glucans are a group of glucose polymers that are found in bacteria, algae, fungi, and plants. While their properties are well known, their biochemical and solubility characteristics vary considerably, and glucans obtained from different sources can have different applications. Research has described the bioactivity of β-glucans extracted from the algae of the Laminaria genus, including in vivo and in vitro studies assessing pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, vaccine production, inhibition of cell proliferation, and anti- and pro-oxidant activity. Thus, the objective of this article was to review the potential application of β-glucans from Laminaria spp. in terms of their immunomodulatory properties, microorganism host interaction, anti-cancer activity and vaccine development.

Keywords: Laminaria; defense; glucans; immunomodulatory properties; β-glucan.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the basic molecular structures of LAM: (A) β-(1-3)-d-glucose linked; and (B) β-(1-6)-d-glucose branch. N: number of specific repetitions of β-(1-3)-d-glucose linked; N *: number of specific repetitions of β-(1-6)-d-glucose branch, both according to the species Laminaria spp.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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