This study relates to low and medium molecular weight isoflavone-${\beta}$-D-glucan produced by submerged liquid culture of Agaricus blazei, a method of producing the isoflavone-B-D-glucan using autolysis enzyme of Agaricus blazei mycelia, and use of the isoflavone-B-D-glucan for anti-cancer and immunoenhancing effect. In acordance with one aspect of the present study, it deals with a method of producing isoflavone-${\beta}$-D-glucan, which comprises the followings; 1) culturing and separating mushroom mycelia, 2) producing low-medium molecular weight isoflavone-${\beta}$-D-glucan from high molecular weight one. The cytotoxicity on human cnacer cell line (Caco-2, MCF-7), the expression of Cyclin D, Bcl-2, Bax protein, p21 protein, p53 protein in MCF-7 cells assessed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, and other immuno related factors such as TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-1B activities were examined. Structural identification of isoflavone-${\beta}$-D-glucan which showed cytotoxicity against cancer cell and immunoenhancing effects was carried by separation with DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, TLC, HPLC, IR, NMR. Clinical test for the cancer patients (n=119) for 6 month was carried out, and immunoenhancing factors (NK. cell number, ratio of T4/T8) were checked. We concluded the identified isoflavone-${\beta}$-D-glucan has immuno enhancing effects and could be useful for cancer chemoprevention.

Phytochemicals have long been known to hold a number of physiological benefits, including antioxidant, anticardiovascular activities and anticancer. The profitable effects of phytochemicals from food sources such as vegetables and fruits, with respect to neurodegeneration, are only beginning to receive increased attention. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major neurodegenerative diseases for which no treatment is available, and characterized by loss of cognition and memory. Many recent studies show that the brain of AD patient is subjected to increased oxidative stress resulting from free radical damage, and the resulting cellular malfunctions are widely believed to be responsible for neuronal degeneration in AD. In this study, the relative relation between AD and phytochemicals were surveyed.