Abstract
β-glucans represent a heterogeneous group of naturally occurring and biologically active polysaccharides found in many kinds of edible mushrooms, baker’s yeast, cereals and seaweeds, whose health-promoting effects have been known since ancient times. These compounds can be taken orally as food supplements or as part of daily diets, and are safe to use, nonimmunogenic and well tolerated. A main feature of β-glucans is their capacity to function as biological response modifiers, exerting regulatory effects on inflammation and shaping the effector functions of different innate and adaptive immunity cell populations. The potential to interfere with processes involved in the development or control of cancer makes β-glucans interesting candidates as adjuvants in antitumor therapies as well as in cancer prevention strategies. Here, the regulatory effects of dietary β-glucans on human innate immunity cells are reviewed and their potential role in cancer control is discussed.
Highlights
The immune system has an active role in all phases of carcinogenesis, exerting multifaceted functions that range from antitumoral to protumoral activities
Immune cell populations are conditioned by soluble factors, enzymes and metabolites produced by nearby tumor and stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that contribute to dampen the antitumor immune response [4]
Regardless of the mechanism(s) and bioactive fraction(s) responsible for this activity, these results suggest that regular dietary intake of mushrooms could improve innate immunity and dampen inflammation
Summary
The immune system has an active role in all phases of carcinogenesis, exerting multifaceted functions that range from antitumoral to protumoral activities. There is currently a growing interest in studying the mechanisms underlying the capacity of bioactive food compounds to modulate processes implicated in either the promotion of or in the protection against carcinogenesis In this regard, the ability of natural food compounds to regulate innate cell functions and to promote or attenuate inflammation is receiving great attention. Among a vast array of compounds naturally occurring polysaccharides, including β-glucans, have been widely studied for their effects on human health and disease in both western and eastern medicine [8,9]. Despite their structural function, some β-glucans exert important biological activities. The mechanisms underlying the capacity of β-glucans to modulate immune response and how this may impact on tumor development/progression will be discussed
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