Studies indicate glucans has an ability to stimulate immune system activity, thereby helping the body fight a variety of infectious diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic organisms. glucans also seem to have anti-tumor properties.
The Chinese Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) approved fungal glycan-baseddrugs (Zhou et al. 2014). This review article provides basic clinical information ofthe fungal glycan-based drugs in China and also summarizes structures, functions,and animal studies of fungal glycans conducted by scientists worldwide. Chen et al.(2013) have summarized the use of β-glucans in colon cancer. The use of β-glucanswas considered an innovative strategy to deliver nanoparticles containing chemotherapeuticagents and, thus, improve the therapeutic efficacy. Meng et al. (2016)reviewed the mechanisms of isolated mushroom polysaccharides, particularly(1 → 3)-β-D-glucans, and described the function in modulating the immune systemand potential tumor-inhibitory effects of β-glucans. The commercial pharmaceutical drugs from β-glucans, such as schizophyllan, lentinan, grifolan,PSP (polysaccharide-peptidecomplex), and PSK (polysaccharide-protein complex),have shown evident clinical results (Ren et al. 2012).
