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Specific β-glucans in chain conformations and their biological functions

Polymer Journal volume 54, pages 427–453 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

The structures and functions of polysaccharides are not fully understood by the scientific community due to their complexity and the limitations of characterization methods. β-(1,3)-D-glucans with or without β-(1,6)-linked glucopyranans as branches (β-glucans), which are important polysaccharides, are widely involved in various biological activities. Moreover, β-glucans exhibit a strong ability to self-assemble into diverse nanocomposite biomaterials, showing great promise in the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of human diseases. Fungi are well known for their traditional edible and medical value, and β-glucans are one of the major active components in fungi. We have long been committed to the study of the structure and function of β-glucans from edible mushrooms, especially in the biological and food fields. Hence, research advances in the extraction, structural and conformational characteristics, and biological activities of β-glucans from three fungi, Auricularia auricula judae, Lentinus edodes and yeast, as typical representatives, were the focus of this review article. Additionally, as-fabricated β-glucan-derived nanocomposite biomaterials as effective therapeutic agents were addressed. This review provides a more comprehensive understanding of β-glucans and some valuable insights for research regarding other polysaccharides.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22075213, 21875167, and 21574102), National Key R&D Program (2016YFD0400202), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51603195) and Key R&D Plan of Hubei Province (2020BCA079).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Huanhuan Chen, Ningyue Liu, Fangzhou He

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Huanhuan Chen, Ningyue Liu, Fangzhou He & Xiaojuan Xu

  2. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, North University of China, NO. 3 Xueyuan Road, Jiancaoping District, Taiyuan, 030051, China

    Qingye Liu

  3. Hubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymers-based Medical Materials, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Xiaojuan Xu

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Chen, H., Liu, N., He, F. et al. Specific β-glucans in chain conformations and their biological functions. Polym J 54, 427–453 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-021-00587-8

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