Biological Activity of High-Purity β-1,3-1,6-Glucan Derived from the Black Yeast Aureobasidium pullulans: A Literature Review

The black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans produces abundant soluble beta-1,3-1,6-glucan-a functional food ingredient with known health benefits. For use as a food material, soluble beta-1,3-1,6-glucan is produced via fermentation using sucrose as the carbon source. Various functionalities of beta-1,3-1,6-glucan have been reported, including its immunomodulatory effect, particularly in the intestine. It also exhibits antitumor and antimetastatic effects, alleviates influenza and food allergies, and relieves stress. Moreover, it reduces the risk of lifestyle-related diseases by protecting the intestinal mucosa, reducing fat, lowering postprandial blood glucose, promoting bone health, and healing gastric ulcers. Furthermore, it induces heat shock protein 70. Clinical studies have reported the antiallergic and triglyceride-reducing effects of beta-1,3-1,6-glucan, which are indicators of improvement in lifestyle-related diseases. The primary and higher-order structures of beta-1,3-1,6-glucan have been elucidated. Specifically, it comprises a single highly-branched glucose residue with the beta-1,6 bond (70% or more) on a backbone of glucose with 1,3-beta bonds. beta-Glucan shows a triple helical structure, and studies on its use as a drug delivery system have been actively conducted. beta-Glucan in combination with anti-inflammatory substances or fullerenes can be used to target macrophages. Based on its health functionality, beta-1,3-1,6-glucan is an interesting material as both food and medicine.

Automated summary

The black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans produces abundant soluble beta-1,3-1,6-glucan, which is a functional food ingredient with various health benefits. Studies have shown its immunomodulatory, antitumor, antiallergic effects, as well as its potential in reducing lifestyle-related disease risks. β-Glucan is a promising material for both food and medicine due to its diverse health functionalities.