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β-glucans are a large class of complex polysaccharides with bioactive properties, including immune modulation. Natural sources of these compounds include yeast, oats, barley, mushrooms, and algae. Yeast is abundant in various processes, including fermentation, and they are often discarded as waste products. The production of biomolecules from waste resources is a growing trend worldwide with novel waste resources being constantly identified. Yeast-derived β-glucans may assist the host's defence against infections by influencing neutrophil and macrophage inflammatory and antibacterial activities. β-glucans were long regarded as an essential anti-cancer therapy and were licensed in Japan as immune-adjuvant therapy for cancer in 1980 and new mechanisms of action of these molecules are constantly emerging. This paper outlines yeast β-glucans' immune-modulatory and anti-cancer effects, production and extraction, and their availability in waste streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heteropolysaccharide (PS-I) and an insoluble glucan (PS-II) were isolated from the alkaline extract of an edible mushroom Pleurotus sajor-caju, cultivar Black Japan. The polysaccharide (PS-I) was found to consist of D-glucose and D-galactose in a molar ratio of 3:1. Based on total acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, and NMR experiments (1H, 13C, DQF-COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HMQC, and HMBC), the structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established as PS-I:  6)--D-Glcp-(13)--D-Glcp-(1 6)--D-Glcp-(1 6  1 -D-Galp This polysaccharide possesses macrophage activity on mouse monocyte cell lines. The structure of the insoluble glucan was established as PS-II: 3)--D-Glcp-(1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave treatment was applied for tamarind seed decortication and the decorticated seeds were milled and used for xyloglucan extraction. The aims were: (1) to determine a treatment for efficiently decorticating tamarind seeds with the specified moisture content and color of decorticated seeds and (2) to develop extraction and purification techniques for producing high‐purity xyloglucan component powder from tamarind seeds. The results revealed that the application of microwave treatment produced high decortication yield and satisfactory color of decorticated seeds. Defatting tamarind kernel powder (TKP) using TKP:hexane ratio of 1:10 (wt/vol) was preferable for reducing fat to 0.5%. The xyloglucan component powder extracted from defatted TKP using 95% ethanol in precipitation process with protease enzyme application for 3 hr had comparable glucose, xylose, and galactose contents to the commercial xyloglucan standard. Overall production yields were 45.6%, 40.2%, and 25.8% for TKP, defatted TKP, and xyloglucan component powder with high purity, respectively. Practical applications: The xyloglucan in tamarind seeds is a natural, nontoxic, and edible polysaccharide. Xyloglucan normally forms a gel in the presence of alcohol, sugar, and polyphenols. It is an interesting gelling agent for use in the food industry because it can form a gel over a wide pH range and is rather heat stable. Although a number of companies in some countries such as Japan and China have manufactured and exported xyloglucan powder extracted from tamarind seeds for many years, their processing techniques have not been disseminated. In this study, a microwave treatment was applied for tamarind seed decortication. The decorticated seeds were milled and used for xyloglucan extraction. The processes for xyloglucan extraction and purification were investigated. The xyloglucan component powder produced in this study had comparable glucose, xylose, and galactose contents to the commercial xyloglucan standard. The xyloglucan component powder produced in this study could be sold as a food additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparassis crispa Fr. in an edible mushroom recently cultivable in Japan. A branched beta-glucan from S. crispa (SCG) is a major 6-branched 1,3-beta-D-glucan showing antitumor activity. In this study, we examined interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induction by SCG from splenocytes in DBA/2 mice in vitro. In the splenocytes derived from almost all inbred strains of mice except for DBA/1 and DBA/2 mice, IFN-gamma production was not induced by SCG. The breeder and genders of DBA/2 mice showed no influence on IFN-gamma induction by SCG. On the other hand, the magnitude of IFN-gamma induction was lower in young mice than in their older counterparts. IFN-gamma was induced by SCG in adherent splenocytes, but IFN-gamma production was most significantly increased by SCG in instances involving coexistence of adherent and nonadherent splenocytes. In fact, inhibition of cell-cell contact reduced IFN-gamma induction by SCG. In addition, interleukin-12 p70 (IL-12p70) was induced by SCG in DBA/2 mice. It was suggested that soluble factors and cell-cell contact mediate synergistic effects on SCG-induced IFN-gamma production.