Taxonomic group: protista / Euglenozoa
(Phylum: Euglenozoa)
NCBI PubMed ID: 29491277Publication DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.64.8Journal NLM ID: 0402640Publisher: University of Tokyo Press
Correspondence: suzuki
euglena.jp
Institutions: euglena Co., Ltd., Tokyo 108-0014, Japan
β-Glucans are a class of polysaccharides consisting of D-glucose units that are polymerized primarily via the β-1,3 glycosidic bonds, in addition to the β-1,4 and/or β-1,6 bonds. They are present in various food products such as cereals, mushrooms, and seaweeds and are known for their numerous effects on the human body, depending on their structures, which are diverse. The major physicochemical properties of β-glucans include their antioxidant property, which is responsible for the scavenging of reactive oxygen species, and their role as dietary fiber for preventing the absorption of cholesterol, for promoting egestion, and for producing short-chain fatty acids in the intestine. Dietary β-glucans also exert immunostimulatory and antitumor effects by activation of cells of the mucosal immune system via β-glucan receptors, such as dectin-1. In this review, we elaborate upon the diversity of the structures and functions of β-glucans present in food, along with discussing their proposed mechanisms of action. In addition to the traditional β-glucan-containing foods, recent progress in the commercial mass cultivation and supply of an algal species, Euglena gracilis, as a food material is briefly described. Mass production has enabled consumption of paramylon, a Euglena-specific novel β-glucan source. The biological effects of paramylon are discussed and compared with those of other β-glucans.
β-glucan, Euglena gracilis, paramylon, food functionality, food material
Structure type: homopolymer
Location inside paper: p. 8, Fig. 1
Trivial name: glucan, β-1,3-glucan, curdlan, curdlan-type polysaccharide 13140, paramylon, curdlan, laminarin, β-glucan, curdlan, β-(1,3)-glucan, β-(1,3)-glucan, curdlan, curdlan, β-1,3-glucan, paramylon, reserve polysaccharide, b-glucan, β-1,3-D-glucan, laminaran, botryosphaeran, laminaran type β-D-glucan, latiglucan I, pachymaran, Curdlan, zymosan A, β-glucan, curdlan, laminarin, zymosan, zymosan, glucan particles, zymosan, β-(1-3)-glucan, β-(1,3)-glucan, β-(1,3)glucan, pachymaran, D-glucan (DPn)540, pachyman, laminaran, curdlan, zymosan, zymosan, β-(1,3)-glucan, zymosan A, zymosan, β-1,3-glucan, curdlan, β-1,3-glucan, curdlan, β-1,3-glucan, curdlan, pachyman, β-(1,3)-glucan, curdlan, callose, a water-insoluble β-(1→3)-glucan, fermentum β-polysaccharide, water-insoluble glucan, alkali-soluble β-glucan (PeA3), alkali-soluble polysaccharide (PCAP), callose, laminarin
Compound class: EPS, O-polysaccharide, cell wall polysaccharide, lipophosphoglycan, glycoprotein, LPG, glucan, polysaccharide, glycoside, β-glucan, β3-glucan, cell wall glucan
Contained glycoepitopes: IEDB_1397514,IEDB_142488,IEDB_146664,IEDB_153543,IEDB_158555,IEDB_161166,IEDB_2278476,IEDB_2278477,IEDB_558869,IEDB_857743,IEDB_983931,SB_192
Comments, role: review
NCBI Taxonomy refs (TaxIDs): 3039Reference(s) to other database(s): GTC:G51056AN, GlycomeDB:
157, CCSD:
50049, CBank-STR:4225, CA-RN: 51052-65-4, GenDB:FJ3380871.1
Show glycosyltransferases
There is only one chemically distinct structure:
Found 
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