1) Universidade Pedagógica, Rua João Carlos Raposo Beirão 135, Maputo, Moçambique
2) Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
3) Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
4) Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal
5) ACIVET, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon University, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
*Corresponding author: profcattitofernandes@gmail.com
The current short article reviews the role of mushroom biomass, rich in β-glucans, enzymes, germanium and secondary metabolites, the interaction with the human gut microbiota and the prevention or treatment of various metabolic syndrome-linked diseases. The focus is on mushroom β-glucans compared to other soluble and fermentable dietary fibres, their unique effects on nutrition, human microbiota, health and disease, specifying the significantly differing physicochemical properties depending on the source and type of mushroom or dietary supplement. An overview of definitions and types of fibre, a brief examination of the health benefits associated with β-glucans from mushroom biomass, its possible mechanisms of action, and its potential dietary supplement applications are provided. Despite promising evidence of mushroom biomass on health much research still remains to be done.
Keyword beta glucans
back to clinical articlesDisplaying 1 - 6 of 6 clinical articles tagged with this topic.
Mushroom Nutrition, Dectin-1 and Autophagy: Implications for Celiac Disease?
Chris J. Newton Ph.D
Discussion on the possible effects of beta-glucans in inflammatory conditions in the digestive tube. By interacting with the dectin-1 receptors in the enterocytes membrane they promote and up-regulate the process of autophagy, important in establishing cellular homeostasis and maintaining the immune system in a state of tolerance.
This article provides an overview of the essential differences between the biomass and extract form of mushroom products. The article addresses the betagucan content of both forms as well as the three forms of enzyme activity found in biomass form; contributing to their role as “biological response modifiers”.
(1) Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Higyene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
(2) University of Coimbra, Portugal.
(3) Ministry of Education and Human Development, Maputo, Mozambique.
(4) University of Catania, Italy
Some mushrooms have been known to exhibit several medicinal properties for thousands of years in Japanese and other Asian cultures. The Reishi mushroom, also known as Ganoderma lucidum, is well characterized (in Traditional Chinese Medicine) for the prevention and treatment of several disease states such as cancer, allergies and asthma. In the west, Reishi is commonly sold in the extract form. This study shows the difference in the concentration of both enzymes and beta-glucans between one Reishi extract sample and one Reishi biomass sample.
In this two page article, Professor Amin Karmali discusses the role of enzyme content in the biomass form of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) and potential use in histamine mediated allergic response ie. Hayfever. The article compares the enzyme content of an extracted form of Reishi when compared to the biomass form of Reishi when both forms are exposed (in vitro) to digestive enzymes.
The data presented strongly support that MRL products contain high levels of beta glucans with anti-tumour activity by using a different colorimetric assay method based on alcian blue. The Alcian Blue method is based on formation of soluble complex formation between the polysaccharides and alcian blue which is specific for Beta-glucans with anti-tumour activity. (Presented at the 12th International Chemical and Biological Engineering Conference (CHEMPOR 2014), organized by the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering - University of Porto and Ordem dos Engenheiros (the Portuguese Engineers Association), held in Porto, Portugal, between the 10th and 12th of September, 2014.