Immunomodulating Effects of Fungal Beta-Glucans: From Traditional Use to Medicine

This review has highlighted the potential application of fungal beta-glucans—immunomodulators that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries—in nutrition and medicine. From this review, it can be concluded that fungal glucans may play a promising role within both perspectives, and that there are possibilities to give traditional medicine an immunological application in both medicinal products and foods. Depending on the dosage, formulation, efficacy, safety profile, and route of administration, the immunomodulating effects that can be expected from fungal beta-glucans can either be considered a pharmaceutical effect (treating or curing a disease) or as a health effect originating from foods, focusing on the prevention of negative health effects.

In Europe, claims on health benefits are strictly regulated, with EFSA reviewing the scientific evidence that supports putative statements about health effects. As shown in this paper, all applications for putative health claims related to stimulation of the immune system and defense against pathogenic microorganisms have so far been rejected. Since EFSA has only approved immune claims for six vitamins and four essential trace elements, it can only be speculated that the temptation to add these ingredients to products is growing, rather than stimulating research into innovative foods. Comparing the evidence base of the putative health effects of fungal beta-glucan supplements with the guidance documents on immune support health claims, but even more importantly, the guidance documents on substantiating immune stimulation and pathogen defense by food products, it is shown that fungal glucans could play a role in supporting and maintaining health and, thus, can be seen as a good health-promoting substance from food—which could mean that this effect may also be claimed if approved.

In addition to these developments related to food uses of beta-glucan-containing supplements, beta-glucans could also hold a novel position in Western medicine, as the concept of trained immunity is relatively new and has not been investigated to a larger extent. The new insights and developments in trained immunity may lead to the possible application of fungal beta-glucans as NSIs in Western medicine. Due to the experience from Asian medicine and the relatively favorable safety profile, lentinan (i.v.) could potentially be a suitable fungal glucan within this new field of immunity. However, additional (preclinical) safety studies must first be performed to be eligible as a medicine in Europe. Imprime PGG, which is currently going through the stages of drug development, is another fungal beta-glucan worth investigating. Finally, given the different ways to purify and process beta-glucans, one of the biggest challenges remains the standardization and proper characterization of the active compounds themselves. However, with the help of modern immunological and biotechnological methods, increasing insights are gained into immunomodulating fungal beta-glucans, with potential applications both in foods and pharmaceutical products.

Immunomodulating Effects of Fungal Beta-Glucans: From Traditional Use to Medicine Nutrients. 2021 Apr; 13(4): 1333. Published online 2021 Apr 17. doi: 10.3390/nu13041333