• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.352-355
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• 2003

${\beta}$-(1,6)-Branched ${\beta}$-(1,3)-D-glucans are known to enhance the immune system in human body, and in most cases have higher molecular weights over 1 MDa. In order to enhance the efficacy of glucans by decreasing their molecular weights, sonication, acid treatment, and enzymatic hydrolysis were tested and compared in this work. Treatment of sonication was effective to decrease the molecular weight to the extent of several dozens of kilo-daltons, but have a risk to disorder the triple helical structure of the glucans. Acid treatment was also an effective method to degrade polysaccharides, but ${\beta}$-(1,6)-branched of the glucan molecules was found to be also hydrolyzed. Treatment of ${\beta}$-(1,3)-glucanase was an effective method to decrease the molecular weight in mild conditions, but could not hydrolyse the highly ${\beta}$-(1,6)-branched ${\beta}$-(1,3)-glucans efficiently.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.351-355
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• 2018

Treatment towards wound healing, a complex and dynamic process, has been given a great deal of efforts in the last few decades. Focus has been imposed on developing wound dressings that meet the requirements for proper wound healing. In this study, hydrogel made from blends of poly (vinyl alcohol) and ${\beta}$-1,6-branched-${\beta}$-1,3-glucan (beta-glucan) were synthesized by modified solvent casting method for wound dressing application. Optimization of hydrogel composition and analysis of wound dressing parameters such as stability and fluid uptake capacity (in the presence of water, saline and different pH solutions) has been studied. The result indicated that the PVA/beta-glucan hydrogel hold its structural integrity even at alkaline pH (pH~9) and upholds fluids four times of its original weight. Thus, the developed hydrogel is expected to be a promising candidate as wound dressing.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.345-351
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• 2009

The $\beta$-glucans derived from yeast cell walls have been reported for having many immunomodulatory activities in vivo and in vitro. In this study, Aureobasidium-derived soluble branched (1,3-1,6) $\beta$-glucan (Sophy $\beta$-glucan) was checked for natural killer (NK) activity and for the production of IFN-$\gamma$ and IL-4 in Leishmania amazonensis infection. The main experiment was performed with a group of female C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, orally supplemented with 5% of Sophy $\beta$-glucan and infected with promastogotes of L. amazonensis ($1\;{\times}\;10^7$) into the footpad. Increase in the footpad thickness with time was observed in BALB/c mice in spite of the oral Sophy $\beta$-glucan supplement, but it was less in C57BL/6 mice. The difference in overall mean footpad thickness between 'infection only' versus 'infection + glucan' groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). High NK activity in C57BL/6 than BALB/c mice was observed in 'glucan only' group compared to the control group and also in 'infection + glucan' group compared to 'infection only' group. The difference in the NK activity among these groups was significant (P < 0.05). The IFN-$\gamma$ level increased at weeks 7 and 8 post-infection in C57BL/6 mice and was significantly high in 'infection + glucan' group compared to the 'infection only' group (P < 0.05). IL-4 levels did not increase up to detectable levels throughout the study. The results led a conclusion that Sophy $\beta$-glucan enhances NK activity and cellular immunity in L. amazonensis-infected mice.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2009

The exo-polysaccharide producing microorganism, Aureobasidium pullulans IMS-822, was isolated and identified from soil. The viscosity-average molecular weight of exo-polysaccharide was calculated as $8.9{\times}10^5$ by Mark-Houwink equation. The sugar component of exo-polysaccharide was determined as glucose by HPLC analysis. The IR spectra indicated that the exo-polysaccharide has an absorption peak at 890 $cm^{-1}$ for the ${\beta}-configuration$ of D-glucan. The $^{13}C$ NMR signal at ${\delta}$ 86.62 ppm arose from the substituted C-3 of glucose. The signal at ${\delta}$ 72.11 ppm was assigned to C-6 of branched ${\beta}-(1{\to}3)-D-glucosyl$ residues. Viscosity and Congo red reaction indicated that {\beta}-(1{\to}3)(1{\to}6)-glucan$ produced by A. pullulans IMS-822 has a highly ordered hydrogen-bond dependent conformation in aqueous solution, which collapses in strong alkaline solution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.267-271
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• 2000

Abstract Two glucans (PONGa and PONGb) differing in their anomeric and glycosidic linkage structures were isolated from the water-insoluble materials (PON) of Pleurotus ostreatus basidiocarps, which activated the complement system and were almost soley composed of D-glucose. The isolatIon was achieved by repeated precipitations with ethanol and adsorption on concanavalin A (Con A) of paN suspension in thymol/NaCL Based on methylation analysis. IR, GLC-MS, $^1H,{\;}and{\;}^{13}C-NMR$ spectroscopies, PONGa was found to be a branched a-glucan composed of ${\alpha}-linked$ D-glucopyranose residues and ${\alpha}-linked$ units with 6-branching points, whereas PONGb was a linear ${\beta}-1,3-glucan$ composed mainly of ${\beta}-1,3-linked$ D-glucopyranose residues. The PONGb particles reacted more potently than the PONGa particles as C3 activator in alternative complement hemolysis and crossed-immunoelectrophoresis using anti-human C3, thereby suggesting that the complement activating components of PON were ${\beta}-(13)-glucans rather$ than ${\alpha}-glucan$ components.onents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.951-959
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• 2009

Most, if not all, Basidiomycetes mushrooms have biologically active polysaccharides showing potent antitumor activity with immunomodulating properties. These polysaccharides have various chemical compositions and belong primarily to the $\beta$-glucan group. In this study, the crude water-soluble polysaccharide HEF-P, which was obtained from the fruiting body of Hericium erinaceus by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation, was fractionated by DEAE-cellulose and Sepharose CL-6B column chromatographies. This process resulted in four polysaccharide fractions, named HEF-NP Fr I, HEF-NP Fr II, HEF-AP Fr I, and HEF-AP Fr II. Of these fractions, HEF-AP Fr II was able to upregulate the functional events mediated by activated macrophages, such as production of nitric oxide and expression ofcytokines (IL-1${\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$). The molecular mass of HEF-AP Fr II was estimated by gel filtration to be 13 kDa. Its structural characteristics were investigated by a combination of chemical and instrumental analyses, including methylation, reductive cleavage, acetylation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results indicate that HEF-AP Fr II is a low-molecular-mass polysaccharide with a laminarin-like triple helix conformation of a ${\beta}$-1,3-branched-${\beta}$-1,6-glucan.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 1996

Hot-water extract, Fr. 1, of Phellinus linteus mycelium was fractionated into Fr. 2, 3, 4, and 5 by the difference of solubility in ethanol. The polysaccharide fractions were studied for their immunostimulating activity on in vitro T-independent polyc1onal antibody response to trinitrophenyl-haptened SRBC (sheep red blood cell). The Fr. 4 with the highest immunostimulating activity was subjected to DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography and gave five fractions, 4-I, II, III, IV, and V. The in vitro immunostimulating assay of the five fractions showed that 4-I and 4-III had a similar activity to that of LPS but the other fractions had low activity. By analyses of chemical composition and HPLC, all fractions obtained were found to be heteropolysaccharide-protein complex. The molecular weights ranged from 9, 000 to 15, 000. Sugar analyses showed that glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose, and xylose were main component. Uronic acid and amino sugar were also detected in the fractions. It should be noted that the molecular weight (15, 000) of 4-III was very small and the structure of 4-III may be different from the known immunostimulating branched $\beta$-(1longrightarrow3)-glucan.