β-glucans applied in other diseases

Since β-glucans affect immune function stimulating various immune cell activations, studies were performed to demonstrate the effective application of this immunomodulatory compound in treatment of diseases. Patients with severe periodontitis have failed for the recruitment and activation of macrophages. β-glucans induce macrophage activation and establishment of Th1, and their use may be responsible for the inhibition of tissue destruction in periodontal disease. The use of β-glucan in dental treatment has been systematically evaluated in recent years. Studies with animals showed a significantly reduced periodontal bone loss after oral administration of β-(1-3),(1-6) glucan . Acar et al. investigated the effects of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NPT) with an adjunctive use of systemic β-glucan on clinical, microbiological, and gingival parameters. Their findings showed that β-glucan might increase the concentration of TGF-β1, thereby augmenting periodontal healing potential. Proposals for treating allergic diseases using β-glucans have also been reported. A new therapeutic strategy for allergic diseases using β-glucan was proposed, with beneficial action in restoring the function of type 2 T-helper cells. Through the application of subcutaneous injections in child patients, β-glucan was demonstrated to be able to modulate allergic sensitization in patients, greatly improving their quality of life. Furthermore, the antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties of β-glucan and its derivatives are also reported. Different studies have shown the protective effect of β-glucan to Staphylococcus aureus , Pneumocystis carinii, Leishmania donovani, and Influenza virus . The protective effect of β-glucan from S. cerevisiae against DNA damage and cytotoxicity in wild-type (k1) and repair-deficient xrs5 CHO cells were evaluated by Oliveira et al. '