β(1-3)(1-6)-D-Glucan with Strong Effects on Immune Status in Chicken: Potential Importance for Efficiency of Commercial Farming

Abstract

Introduction In face of the challenge of the emergent new diseases and the current efforts of the governments to ban growth-promoting antibiotics and to improve conditions and overall health of the farmed animals, new opportunities are created for natural, highly effective, cost affordable immunomodulators. Supplementation of animal feed with β-glucans has repeatedly been shown to modulate the immune system. In this study we focused on evaluation of the effects of new insoluble, fungi-derived β-glucan as dietary supplement in chicken. We found that his β-glucan has the potential to stimulate growth, phagocytic activity, and IL-2 production. In addition, it significantly lowered the levels of TNF-α and cortisol levels elevated by a lipopolysaccharide challenge. Citation: Vetvicka V, Oliveira C (2014) β(1-3)(1-6)-D-Glucan with Strong Effects on Immune Status in Chicken: Potential Importance for Efficiency of Commercial Farming. J Nutr Health Sci 1(3): 309. doi: 10.15744/2393-9060.1.309 For the past 40 years, β-glucans have drawn ever increasing attention due to their immunomodulatory capabilities in the innate immune system. Various types of glucans have been isolated from yeasts, mushrooms, grain and seaweed. They have been extensively studied for their immunological and other biological effects. Currently in the literature, there exist more than 8,000 papers describing the mostly immunological activities of glucans [1]. However, in addition to the effects on the immune system, glucans were found to influence cholesterol level [2], blood sugar [3], and protect against bone marrow damage [4] and stress [5].