Biology And Chemistry Of Beta Glucan

Despite of the efforts of pharmaceutical researchers to find new medicaments, nature offers many substances with healing properties—beta-glucans belong to this group of compounds. The second volume of the e-book series, Biology and Chemistry of Beta-Glucan, provides new knowledge about these important polysaccharides. In order to understand the role of beta-glucans, it is necessary to control the purity and to determine their composition and structure. This volume presents modern chemical and separation methods which are applied in structural analysis of glucans. As a result of structural analyses, it can be concluded that beta-glucans of different origin vary in chain length, number and types of branching. The book further discusses the biological effects of tailored oligomers and synthetic beta-glucans, including innovative use of enzymatic processes in the synthesis of these compounds. This volume also discusses a hypothesis of beta-glucans’ increasing impact on the photodynamic therapy. In spite of many scientific papers describing the positive role of beta-glucans in protection against diseases, certain epidemiological data suggest that specific illnesses can be related to beta-glucan exposure. The fact of whether or not beta-glucan is an accompanying substance of these biologically active agents is also questioned. Biology and Chemistry of Beta-Glucan: Volume 2 focuses on the strictly scientific basis on the effects of beta-glucan on human health as well as other possibilities of beta-glucan application, such as protection of aquaculture against diseases.

This book presents a comprehensive and systematic survey on (1-3)-B-glucans. Glucans with the (1-3)-B-glucosidic linkage as a major feature, are present in most higher plants and many lower plants and microorganisms. They may occur as major structural or storage components or be formed at very specific sites in response to particular developmental events or stimuli. In many cases their functional role is a mystery, in others it is well established. Their distribution and physiological involvement indicates that they are important to fields such as agriculture and biotechnology, and may also have an impact in medicine, through their role in immunology and cancer therapy.

"?-Glucan is generally considered to be a very safe immunomodulator. It is a well-known biological response modifier (BRM) that has been used as an adjuvant therapy for cancer since 1980, mostly in Japan. ?-Glucan enhances the innate host defense against c"

Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biology of 1-3 Beta Glucans and Related Polysaccharides presents a comprehensive, systematic and authoritative survey of information about a family of chemically related, but functionally diverse, naturally occurring polysaccharides--the (1-3)-glucans. International contributors describe the chemical and physicochemical properties of these glucans and their derivatives and the molecular biological and structural aspects of the enzymes involved in their formation and breakdown. A detailed analysis of their physiological roles in the various biological situations in which they are found will be provided. Additionally, evolutionary relationships among the family of these glucans will be described. Topics of medical relevance include detailing the glucans' interactions with the immune system and research for cancer therapy applications Web resource links allow scientists to explore additional beta glucan research Separate indexes divided into Species and Subject for enhanced searchability

Despite of the efforts of pharmaceutical researchers to find new medicaments, nature offers many substances with healing properties-beta-glucans belong to this group of compounds. The second volume of the book series, Biology and Chemistry of Beta-Glucan, provides new knowledge about these important polysaccharides. In order to understand the role of beta-glucans, it is necessary to control the purity and to determine their composition and structure. This volume presents modern chemical and separation methods which are applied in structural analysis of glucans. As a result of structural analyses, it can be concluded that beta-glucans of different origin vary in chain length, number and types of branching. The book further discusses the biological effects of tailored oligomers and synthetic beta-glucans, including innovative use of enzymatic processes in the synthesis of these compounds. This volume also discusses a hypothesis of beta-glucans' increasing impact on the photodynamic therapy. In spite of many scientific papers describing the positive role of beta-glucans in protection against diseases, certain epidemiological data suggest that specific illnesses can be related to beta-glucan exposure. The fact of whether or not beta-glucan is an accompanying substance of these biologically active agents is also questioned. Biology and Chemistry of Beta-Glucan: Volume 2 focuses on the strictly scientific basis on the effects of beta-glucan on human health as well as other possibilities of beta-glucan application, such as protection of aquaculture against diseases.

The complex world of polysaccharides is a compilation of the characteristics of a variety of polysaccharides from plants, animals and microorganisms. The diversity of these polysaccharides arises from the structural variations and the monosaccharide content which is under genetic control. The chemical and physical properties have made them useful in many pharmaceutical, food and industrial applications. These properties of the polysaccharides determine their biological activity and their function in various applications. The role played by polysaccharides in preservation and protection of food, as carriers of nutrients and drugs, their ability to interact with molecules both for efficient delivery as well as improving textures of food colloids and their use as therapeutics are some of the functions discussed.

Historically, most of the research into carbohydrates as functional ingredients focused on the improvement of appearance, taste, mouth-feel, and stability. The growing interest in functional foods, however, is demanding a critical look at the beneficial nonnutritive effects of carbohydrates on human health. Furthermore, there is a need to establish definitive relations among the structure, physical property, and physiological function of these bioactive compounds. As more of the benefit and functional versatility of carbohydrates is revealed, it is clear that any future research and recommendation must be based on a solid synthesis of multidisciplinary findings including epidemiological, metabolic, and clinical nutritional data. Through clinical and epidemiological studies, Functional Food Carbohydrates addresses the specific classes of carbohydrates that seem to exert health-enhancing effects. The text begins with in-depth treatments of the chemistry, physical properties, processing technology, safety and health benefits of a variety of carbohydrates including cereal beta-glucans, microbial polysaccharides, chitosan, arabinoxylans, resistant starch, and other polysaccharides of plant origin. The authors then discuss the physiological and metabolic effects that a variety of carbohydrates have on specific chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and various gastrointestinal disorders. The final chapters discuss the regulatory and technological aspects of using carbohydrates as functional foods. Specifically, the authors consider the safety and efficacy of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics, and the potential use of carbohydrates as delivery vehicles for other bioactive compounds. With contributions from experts specializing in food chemistry and technology, as well as human nutrition and physiology, this text illuminates the link between the behavior of carbohydrate compounds and their beneficial end-result on human health.

Nanopapers: From Nanochemistry and Nanomanufacturing to Advanced Applications gives a comprehensive overview of the emerging technology of nanopapers. Exploring the latest developments on nanopapers in nanomaterials chemistry and nanomanufacturing technologies, this book outlines the unique properties of nanopapers and their advanced applications. Nanopapers are thin sheets or films made of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, nanoclays, cellulose nanofibrils, and graphene nanoplatelets. Noticeably, nanopapers allow highly concentrated nanoparticles to be tightly packed in a thin film to reach unique properties such as very high electrical and thermal conductivities, very low diffusivity, and strong corrosion resistance that are shared by conventional polymer nanocomposites. This book presents a concise introduction to nanopapers, covering concepts, terminology and applications. It outlines both current applications and future possibilities, and will be of great use to nanochemistry and nanomanufacturing researchers and engineers who want to learn more about how nanopapers can be applied. Outlines the main uses of nanopapers, showing readers how this emerging technology should best be applied Shows how the unique properties of nanopapers make them adaptable for use in a wide range of applications Explores methods for the nanomanufacture of nanopapers