The present paper represents a comprehensive up-to-date review of β-glucans, their chemical and biological properties, and their role in immunological reactions. β-D-Glucans belong to a group of physiologically active compounds called biological response modifiers and represent highly conserved structural components of cell walls in yeast, fungi, or seaweed. Despite almost 150 years of research, the exact mechanisms of their action remain unclear. The present review starts with the history of glucans. Next, attention is focused on sources and structure, comparing the effects of physicochemical properties, and sources on biological effects. As glucans belong to natural products useful in preventing various diseases, they have been highly sought after throughout human history. Based on extensive recent research, this paper explains the various mechanisms of effects and the ways glucans mediate their effects on defense reactions against infections. Despite the fact that predominately pharmacological effects of glucans are positive, their unfavorable and potentially toxic side effects were not overlooked. In addition, attention was focused on the future research, possible alternatives such as synthetic oligosaccharides, and on clinical applications.
Beta-D-glucans belong to a group of natural, physiologically active compounds, generally called biological response modifiers. Glucans represent highly conserved structural components of cell walls in yeast, fungi, or seaweed. Despite long history of research, the exact mechanisms of glucan action remain unsolved. The present review starts with the history of glucans. Next, the detailed information about the possible glucan sources is followed by a description of the mechanisms of action. Physiological functions of glucan suggest the possible use of glucans not only as non-specific immunomodulator, but also as its possible future use as a drug.
SummaryThe inhibitory effect of ethanol is studied during alcoholic fermentation in strict anaerobiosis (initial dissolved oxygen stripped by gasing pure nitrogen). It is demonstrated that the ethanol produced during the batch fermentation is more inhibitory than the added ethanol (in the range of 0 to 72.6 ghter). By analogy with noncompetitive enzyme kinetic inhibition, the inhibition constant for added ethanol is 105.2 g/liter, and 3.8 g/liter for produced ethanol, which exhibits the same inhibition effects in all experiments where ethanol was added. The measurement of the intracellular alcohol concentration can explain the dual inhibitory effects of ethanol.
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