Yeast β-glucans have a primarily metabolic effect

Cereal derived β-glucans have a primarily metabolic effect, including the modulation of the gut microbiome and cholesterol reduction, reducing cardiovascular issues. Non-cereal-derived β-glucans elicit their effects usually through interaction with the immune system. Therapeutic effects include anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-infective properties. Recognition by immune cells is not exclusively linked to branching but to the length of the polysaccharide polymer and its tertiary structure as well .

Other influences on final conformational structure aside from the originating source include extraction procedure and growth or culture conditions . Herein lies the hurdle of the clinical translation of β-glucans. There are substantial structural variances between β- glucans, including those originating from the same source. These variances include the chain length of the backbone and branching, type of branching, and 3D conformational structure, which can display a random, single helix, or triple helical structure. Thus, research groups are reporting differences in activity which can be seen in an abundance of in-vitro and in-vivo tests and clinical trials registered for the use of β-glucans. β-glucans have been extensively studied in infectious illnesses and tumour immunology.