* Entrance to β-Glucan *

β-Glucan is one of polysaccharides synthesized by plants and animals, - - - their overview is as follows:

  1. 1)Various polysaccharides from various sources

    Plant origin:  Cellulose, Starch, Pectin, Agar,

                   Mannan, Alginic acid, Arabic acid gum, etc.

    Animal origin: Glycogen, Chitin, Hyaluronic acid,

                   Chondroitin sulfate, etc.

   Microbial:     Glucans from various mushrooms, Pullulan,

                   Dextran, Xanthan gum, Curdlan, etc.

Our β-Glucan, which is synthesized in and excreted from the cell, is classified in this group.

          

2) Microbial polysaccharides employed as food additives or medicines

Foods:

    ・ Curdlan: Food stiffener, Produced by cultivation of Alcaligenes faecalis

    ・ Xhanthan gum: Food stiffener, Produced by cultivation of Xantomonas campertris

    ・ Pullulan: Edible film, Produced by cultivation of Aureobasidium pullulans

  Health foods:

    ・ β-1,3 Glucan: Isolated from baker’s yeast

    ・ β-1,6 Glucan: Comminuted of dried Agaricus mushroom

    ・ Ourβ-1,3 Glucan: Purified from culture broth of Aureobasidium pullulanse GM-NH-1A1.

Medicines

    ・ Dextran: Plasma substititute, Cultivation of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and then purification

    ・ Lentinan: Immunotherapy of cancer, Isolation from Lentinus shiitake

    ・ Schizophyllan: Immunotherapy of cancer, Cultivation and purification of Schizophyllum commune



Chemistry of Our β-Glucan Produced by Aureobasidium pullulanse GM-NH-1A1

  1. 1)Our β-Glucan is composed of a backbone, main chain, of beta-1,3-linked glucoses and of approximately three     

     single-glucose-branches every four glucoses on the backbone., as follows.

2) Comparison of our β-Glucan  with others

             

3) Structure of our β-Glucan

              




* Characteristics of Our β-Glucan *

1)Morphological characteristics of Aureobasidium pullulanse GM-NH-1A1 capable of secreting β-Glucan.

                               
       

2) Colony of Aureobasidium pullulanse GM-NH-1A1 on  Czapek-Dox Ager

             

3)Outline of production

Our microorganism, Aureobasidium pullulans GM-NH-1A1 produces lower molecular weight β-Glucan, mainly 800,000 dalton, than other Aureobasidium pullulans.

So, powdered β-Glucan is easily produced according to the following diagram of a large scale production.

                                     

                  


* Physiological Actions *

1) Known clinical efficacies of β-Glucan extracted from baker’s yeast and Agaricus

-Immunostimulation

-Modification of immune function : Curing effect on allergic, atopic, autoimmune diseases, etc.

-Anti-tumor action

-Lowering blood sugar level

-Anti-viral activity

-Improvement of liver function damaged by HCV

-Lowering serum cholesterol level

-Acceleration of curing of injury

-Acceleration of recovery of skin damaged by sunshine

2) Diseases Supposed to be Effective Clinically

-Pyrogenic suppurative disease

-Allergic disease

-Cancer and  tumor

-AIDS

-Common cold

-Chronic fatigue

-Auto-immune disease

-Fibromyoma

-Rheumatic arthritis

-Infection with Candida

-Climacteric syndrome

-Diabetes

-Infection with Herpes 

- virus

-Monocytic disease

-Osteoporosis

  1. -Constipation


3)


4)In vivo studies using animals (Literatures)

(1) Antitumor Activities and Immunochemical Properties of Cell-wall Polysaccharides from Aureobasidium pullulans: N. Kataoka-Shirasugi, et.al, Biosci. Biotech. Biochem.,58: 2145-2151(1994)

(2) Antitumor and Antimetastatic Activity of a Nobel Water-soluble Low molecular Weight B-1,3-D-Glucan (branch B-1,6) Isolated from Aureobasidium pullulans 1A1 Strain Black yeast: Y.Kimura, et. al., Anticancer Research, 26: 4131-4142(2006)

(3) Effects of water-soluble low-molecular-weight B-1,3-D-Glucan (branch B-1,6) isolated from Aureobasidium pullulans 1A1 strain black yeast on resistant stress in mice: J. Pharmacy and pharmacology, 59: 1137-1144 (2007)

(4) Inhibitory effects of water-soluble low-molecular-weight B-(1,3-1,6) D-Glucan purified from Aureobasidium pullulans GM-NH-1A1 strain on food allergic reactions in mice: International immunopharmacology, 7: 963-972(2007)


Safety

Aureobasidium (black yeast) cultured solution was officially listed and categolized as an existing food additive in Notification No. 120, Ministry of Health and Welfare (current Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)1 on April 16, 1996.

Furthermore, the experimental review of the safety of existing food additives by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirmed again the safety of Aureobasidium cultured solution, of which results were published in June 2004.

Note 1: Notification No. 120, Ministry of Health and Welfare verifies the safety of the product as a food, but it does not indicate that the product is a food for specified health use (i.e. it does not verify efficacy).


Note 2: Explanatory Notes for Products in Existing Food Additives List, published in 1999 by Japan Food Additives Association (former subsidiary organization of the Ministry of Health and Welfare describes the feature of this Aureobasidium cultured solution as follows:

Existing food additives list number:  1

Name of food additive: Obtained from black yeast (Aureobasidium pullulans) cultured solution. The main component is beta-1,3/1,6 glucan

Outline of thisProduct: The product is manufactured by culturing microorganisms, which is an effective way of producing this polysaccharide. The product is a viscous liquid and is obtained from sterilized Aureobasidium pullulans (black yeast) cultured solution. The main component is a polysaccharide called beta-1,3/1,6 glucan, and it consists of a main chain (beta-1,3), side chains (beta-1,6) and functional groups.

Properties and characteristics: Viscous yellow liquid, heat-resistant, acid-resistant and salt-tolerant. Has a slight, unique taste (sour) and aroma. Very soluble in water. Insoluble in ethanol and fat.

Usage: Thickener, stabilizer

Main foods in which this product may be used:  Drinks, sauces, bread, Japanese and western confectionery, bean paste, cold sweet food, processed meat and fish, noodles, vegetable marinades, jam, baked sweets, rice cake, soft candy, processed food (film-shaped), seasoning, etc.

Products

Commercially available β-glucan Products and Sales:

  Commercialized by DS WELLFOODS CO.,LTD. (Affiliate of DAISO CHEMICAL CO., LTD. )


[ DS WELLFOODS support your happiness and health with High Efficiency Foods ]


Patent

Patented # 2003-106676 :「水溶性低粘度β−D−グルカン含有培養液の調製方法」

       [Joint application with DAISO CHEMICAL CO., LTD]


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Entrance to β-Glucan

β-Glucan is one of polysaccharides synthesized by plants and animals, and their overview is as follows:

1)Various polysaccharides from various sources

   Plant origin :     Cellulose, Starch, Pectin, Agar,

                              Mannan, Alginic acid, Arabic acid gum, etc.

  Animal origin :  Glycogen, Chitin, Hyaluronic acid,Chondroitin sulfate, etc.

     Microbial :         Glucans from various mushrooms, Pullulan,

                              Dextran, Xanthan gum, Curdlan, etc.Our β-Glucan, which is synthesized in

                               and excreted from the cell, is classified in this group.

                       

2) Microbial polysaccharides employed as food additives or medicines

Foods:

Curdlan: Food stiffener, Produced by cultivation of Alcaligenes faecalis

Xhanthan gum: Food stiffener, Produced by cultivation of Xantomonas campertris

Pullulan: Edible film, Produced by cultivation of Aureobasidium pullulans

Health foods:

β-1,3 Glucan: Isolated from baker’s yeast

β-1,6 Glucan: Comminuted of dried Agaricus mushroom

Ourβ-1,3 Glucan: Purified from culture broth of Aureobasidium pullulanse.

Medicines

  Dextran: Plasma substititute, Cultivation of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and then purification

Lentinan: Immunotherapy of cancer, Isolation from Lentinus shiitake

Schizophyllan: Immunotherapy of cancer, Cultivation and purification of Schizophyllum commune


 

    =β-Glucan=