Water-soluble Β-glucan Research Articles

Anti-tumor and anti-metastasis of water-soluble sulfated β-glucan derivatives from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Traditional fungi β-glucan commonly possesses high molecular weight with poor water solubility, which remains significant challenge in the drug development and medical application. Water-soluble β-glucan with high molecular weight (dHSCG) of 560 kDa, low molecular weight (dLSCG) of 60 kDa, and sulfated derivative (SCGS) with a molecular weight of 146 kDa and sulfate degree at 2.04 were obtained through well-controlled degradation and sulfated modification from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in this study. The structural characteristics were confirmed as β-1,3/6-glucan by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. Carbohydrate microarrays and surface plasmon resonance revealed distinct and contrasting binding affinities between the natural β-glucans and sulfated derivatives. SCGS exhibited strong binding to FGF and VEGF, while natural β-glucan showed no response, suggesting its potential as a novel antitumor agent. Moreover, SCGS significantly inhibited the migration rate of the highly metastatic melanoma (B16F10) cells. The lung metastasis mouse model also demonstrated that SCGS significantly reduced and eliminated the nodules, achieving an inhibition rate of 86.7% in vivo, with a dramatic improvement in IFN-α, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels. Through analysis of protein content and distribution in lung tissues, the anti-tumor and anti-metastasis mechanism of SCGS involves the regulation of degrading enzymes to protect extracellular matrix (ECM), as well as the reduction of angiogenic factor release. These findings provide a foundation for exploring the potential of SCGS in the development of new anti-tumor and anti-metastasis drugs and open up a new field in cancer research.

Refinement and complete solution NMR analysis of the structure of a 6-branched 1,3-β-D-glucan (OL-2) isolate from Omphalialapidescens

OL-2 is a water-soluble β-glucan produced by Omphalia lapidescens. This versatile glucan has potential applications in various industries, including food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, OL-2 is known for its promising applications as a biomaterial and drug, owing to its reported antitumor and antiseptic properties. Although the biological activities of β-glucans vary depending on their primary structure, holistic clarification of OL-2 via solution NMR spectroscopy to ascertain its complete and unambiguous structure has not yet been achieved. In this study, a chain of solution NMR techniques, such as correlation spectroscopy, total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY), nuclear Overhauser effect and exchange spectroscopy, 13C-edited heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), HSQC-TOCSY, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation, and heteronuclear 2-bond correlation pulse sequences were used to unambiguously assign all 1H and 13C atoms in OL-2. Based on our investigation, OL-2 consists of a 1,3-β-glucan backbone chain decorated with a single 6-branched β-glucosyl side unit on every fourth residue.

Study on preparation of selenium nanoparticles stabilised in water-soluble β-glucan by gamma Co-60 irradiation

The colloidal solutions of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) stabilised in water-soluble β-glucan were successfully prepared by the gamma ray (Co-60) irradiation method. The saturation dose for complete reduction of solutions contained 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 ppm Se4+ were determined at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 kGy, respectively. The structural characteristic and particle size were analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The obtained results showed that the increase of β-glucan concentration from 1 to 4% or pH of sample from 5 to 10 caused a slight change of particle size but strongly affected the particle size distribution in the product. The particle size of the product was almost unchanged after 60 days stored at 0 and 4oC conditions, but a slight increase was observed in the sample stored at room temperature after 30 days. In addition, the antioxidant activity of SeNPs/β-glucan was much higher than that of vitamin C at the same tested concentration and this activity was increased by the increase of reaction time. The smaller particles size in the product displayed the higher antioxidant activity. These results indicated that SeNPs/β-glucan prepared by irradiation method is a very promising product for application in the fields of cosmetic and functional food.

Preparation and characterization of feruloylated oat β-glucan with antioxidant activity and colon-targeted delivery

Ferulic acid (FA) is an effective chemopreventive and therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer. However, FA cannot stably reach the colon through human digestive system, and it can be grafted into oligosaccharides to improve its digestion stability. Therefore, in this study, different degrees of substitution of feruloylated oat β-glucan (FA-OβG) were prepared by grafting FA onto water soluble oat β-glucan. FA grafting changed the crystallinity and surface morphology of OβG, and the thermal stability of the FA-OβG improved. As the DS increased, the antioxidant activity of FA-OβG increased, and FA-OβG III with DS of 0.184 showed the same antioxidant activities compared to the equal amount of free FA. The FA-OβG showed higher stability under gastrointestinal and colonic conditions than free FA. Furthermore, the FA-OβG conjugates exhibited good in vitro anticancer activity against human colorectal cancer cells, while FA-OβG III showed better anticancer activity than an equal amount of free FA.

A water-soluble β-glucan improves growth performance by altering gut microbiome and health in weaned pigs.

Beta-glucan has been shown to have a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal health. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of β-glucan isolated from Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 on growth performance and intestinal health of weaning pigs. A total of 108 weaned pigs (21 d of age; 6.05 ± 0.36 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups (6 pens/group; 6 pigs/pen), and the groups were each treated with the following diets: 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg olaquindox, 3) basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg β-glucan, for 21 d. Compared with the control group, pigs fed with 200 mg/kg β-glucan had greaterBW, average daily gain and duodenal villus height to crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05). Olaquindox increased the duodenal or jejunal villus height of pigs compared with β-glucan. Compared with the control group, β-glucan tended to increase the occludin mRNA expression in the jejunum (0.05 < P < 0.10). Beta-glucan enriched the beneficial microbiota in the ileum of pigs (P < 0.05). In conclusion, β-glucan may promote growth performance by improving intestinal health and increasing beneficial microbiota of weaned pigs. The study results will provide valuable theoretical guidance for the utilization of β-glucan in weaned pigs.

Structural Studies of Water-Insoluble β-Glucan from Oat Bran and Its Effect on Improving Lipid Metabolism in Mice Fed High-Fat Diet.

Water-insoluble β-glucan has been reported to have beneficial effects on human health. However, no studies have thoroughly characterized the structure and function of water-insoluble β-glucan in oat bran. Thus, the structure and effect of water-insoluble β-glucan on weight gain and lipid metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice were analyzed. First, water-insoluble β-glucan was isolated and purified from oat bran. Compared with water-soluble β-glucan, water-insoluble β-glucan had higher DP3:DP4 molar ratio (2.12 and 1.67, respectively) and molecular weight (123,800 and 119,200 g/mol, respectively). Notably, water-insoluble β-glucan exhibited more fibrous sheet-like structure and greater swelling power than water-soluble β-glucan. Animal experiments have shown that oral administration of water-insoluble β-glucan tended to lower the final body weight of obese mice after 10 weeks treatment. In addition, water-insoluble β-glucan administration significantly improved the serum lipid profile (triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels) and epididymal adipocytes size. What is more, water-insoluble β-glucan reduced the accumulation and accelerated the decomposition of lipid in liver. In conclusion, water-insoluble β-glucan (oat bran) could alleviate obesity in HFD-fed mice by improving blood lipid level and accelerating the decomposition of lipid.

Structural elucidation of a branch-on-branch β-glucan from Hericium erinaceus with A HPAEC-PAD-MS system

A water-soluble β-glucan from fruiting body of Hericium erinaceus was obtained after water extraction, purification and fractionation. Analyses of monosaccharide composition, molecular weight and linkage mode demonstrated that it is a β-glucan with 1→3 and 1→6 linkage modes and a molecular weight of 13.3 kDa. An endo-1,6-β-d-glucanase was used to digest the β-glucan and the digested products over time were analyzed with a HPAEC-PAD-MS platform. The linkage mode of each glycosidic bond in the digested oligosaccharides were confirmed with MS/MS. At the end of digestion, enzyme resistant oligosaccharides were observed as several 1→6 linked glucoses with one or two 1→3 linked glucose residues. All these domains are more like constructional pieces from a branch-on-branch glucan, in which multiple 1→6 linked glucan chains are hooked through one or two 1→3 linked glucose residues. Averagely, there is a 1→3 linkage per six 1→6 linked glucoses in this branch-on-branch β-glucan.

Differences in anti-inflammatory properties of water soluble and insoluble bioactive polysaccharides in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

β-Linked polysaccharides including β-glucans are well known to be important functional ingredients, and are known to possess immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties and participating receptor of water soluble and insoluble bioactive polysaccharides from Grifola frondosa (GFP, non-digestible water soluble polysaccharides), Laminaria digitata (laminarin, a water soluble β-glucan) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (zymosan, a water insoluble β-glucan) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated parental and Dectin-1 highly expressing RAW264.7 macrophages. Results showed that GFP and laminarin significantly inhibited nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 production, but only the GFP with high molecular weight exhibited strong inhibition on pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α and IL-6) secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. The activation of NF-κB was also significantly down-regulated by GFP treatment as compared with cells treated with LPS alone. Although GFP and laminarin were able to bind to β-glucan receptor Dectin-1, there was no relationship between the inhibitory potency and the content of β-glucans in GFP, and these inhibitory effects were not affected by the expression level of Dectin-1 in macrophage cells. In contrast, zymosan significantly intensified LPS-induced inflammatory responses through Dectin-1. In conclusion, these results suggest that the inhibitory effects of water soluble polysaccharides on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediator production in murine macrophages may not involve β-glucan receptor Dectin-1.

Oligosaccharide elicitor prepared from Salecan triggers the defense responses of Arabidopsis thaliana Col0 against Botrytis cinerea infection.

Oligosaccharides from the water-soluble β-glucan, Salecan, were investigated to evaluate the activation effect on the defense responses of Arabidopsis thaliana Col0. Salecan oligosaccharides (ScOs, DP 5-10) were prepared at first by acid hydrolysis and gel filtration chromatography and then employed for foliar spray on Arabidopsis seedlings and plants. After ScOs treatment, increase of hydrogen peroxide was histologically and analytically detected in leaves. Transcription levels of several indicator genes which correspond to the signaling pathways and pathogenesis-related proteins were up-regulated at different time by means of quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Importantly, the sequential activation of salicylic acid-mediated and jasmonate-mediated signaling pathway was observed in leaves. Furthermore, pot test and antimicrobial test gave the fact that pretreatment with ScOs restrained the leaf lesions caused by infection of Botrytis cinerea Bc0510 via the enhancement of defense responses of A. thaliana. In conclusion, Salecan oligosaccharides serve as an elicitor which can be used for biological control of plant pathogen.

Dietary salecan reverts partially the metabolic gene expressions and NMR-based metabolomic profiles from high-fat-diet-induced obese rats

Previous studies suggest that dietary salecan (a water-soluble β-glucan) effectively reduces high-fat-diet-induced adiposity through disturbing bile-acid-promoted emulsification in mice. However, the effects of salecan on metabolic genes and metabolites involved in lipid accumulation are mostly unknown. Here, we confirmed that dietary 3% and 6% salecan for 4 weeks markedly decreased fat accumulation in liver and adipose tissue in high-fat-diet rats, displaying a decrease in mRNA levels of SREBP1-C, FAS, SCD1 and ACC1 involved in de novo lipogenesis and a reduction of levels of GPAT1, DGAT1 and DGAT2 related to triglyceride synthesis. Dietary salecan also increased the mRNA levels of PPARα and CYP7A1, which are related to fatty acid oxidation and cholesterol decomposition, respectively. In the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic analysis, both the serum and liver metabolite profiles differed among the control groups, and the metabolic profiles of the salecan groups were shifted toward that of the low-fat-diet group. Metabolites analysis showed that salecan significantly increased hepatic glutathione and betaine levels which are related to regulation of cellular reactive oxygen species. These data demonstrate that dietary salecan not only disturbed fat digestion and absorption but also influenced lipid accumulation and metabolism in diet-induced obesity.

Fabrication of schizophyllan hydrogel via orthogonal thiol-ene photopolymerization

Schizophyllan (SPG) is a water soluble β-glucan, which is obtained from Schizophyllum commune. SPG has been widely explored with its unique properties such as triple helical structure, immune-modulation, and anti-tumoral activity. In this study, we tried to fabricate SPG hydrogel via thiol-ene photopolymerization. SPG-norbornene and SPG-thiol were synthesized from ultrasonicated SPG. Two types of SPG hydrogels (SPG and PEG/SPG hybrid) were formed via thiol-ene photo-click reaction. By controlling the SPG content and stoichiometric balance of norbornene and thiol groups, swelling ratio and shear elastic modulus of SPG hydrogel could be controlled in the range of 20–60 and 0.5–10kPa, respectively. For PEG/SPG hybrid hydrogel, we found that the triple-helical structure of SPG played a role in physical network formation with thiol-ene cross-linking. The degradability of SPG hydrogel could be also modulated by varying formulation. Therefore, such highly tunable SPG hydrogels would be utilized for various applications.

Structural characterization and immuno-enhancing activity of a highly branched water-soluble β-glucan from the spores of Ganoderma lucidum

A water soluble β-glucan (GLSWA-I) with a weight average molecular weight ∼1.57×105g/mol, isolated from the aqueous extract of the broken cellular wall Ganoderma lucidum spores, was purified by anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography. The immunological activity test in vivo showed that GLSWA-I could significantly promote dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) induced delayed-type ear swelling in mice. Based on the monosaccharides composition analysis, methylation analysis, IR, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, the repeating unit of polysaccharide GLSWA-I was elucidated as follows: [Display omitted]

Study on the effect of radiation-degraded β-glucan on body weight gain and blood biochemical indexes in mice

The suspension solution containing 10% water-insoluble β-glucan extracted from yeast cell wall was irradiated by gamma rays from a Co-60 source for degradation. The water-soluble β-glucan products with molecular weight (Mw) of about 30.5, 24.9 and 10.8 kDa were successfully prepared from the samples irradiated at the doses of 100, 200 and 300 kGy, respectively. The obtained water-soluble β-glucan products were tested in mice for examination of their effect on the weight gain, feed conversation rate and blood chemistry indexes. The results after 4 weeks testing indicated that the oral supplementation of all water-soluble β-glucan samples prepared by gamma rays Co-60 irradiation method promoted the increase of body weight as well as the efficiency in converting the feed mass into the weight gain in the tested mice. In addition, β-glucan samples also reduded some contents of blood biochemistry indexes such as of glucose, urea, total protein, triglyceride and cholesterol in tested mice. The supplementation by 2 mg per mouse water-soluble β-glucan product with Mw ~ 24.9 kDa prepared by gamma irradiation at 200 kGy enhanced 16.1% the body weight and decresed 13.3% the feed conversation rate for the tested mice. The results on the blood biochemistry indexes also indicated that this β-glucan product reduced the contents of glucose, urea, total protein, triglyceride, and cholesterol in blood of tested mice by 27.1, 67.3, 56.0, 57.4 and 51.5%, respectively, compared to those in blood of the control ones. Thus, the low Mw and water-soluble β-glucan prepared by irradiation method can be applied as a potential material for production of the functional foods.

Study on the immuno stimulation of radiation degraded β-glucan in swiss mice

The mixtures β-glucan extracted from the yeast cell wall were irradiated under gamma rays from a Co-60 source at doses of 100, 200 and 300 kGy in order to prepare water-soluble β-glucan. Yields of the water soluble β-glucan produced are 25.9, 49.1, 66.71%, and their molecular weights (Mw) are 30.5, 24.9 and 10.8 kDa, respectively. There are no any new peak in the IR spectra of the irradiated β-glucan samples, but the intensity ratio between the peaks at wavenumber of 1156 cm-1 (assigned to C-O-C bond) and of 1040 cm-1 (assigned to C-C bond) in glycosidic linkages was reduced with irradiation dose. These results revealed that gamma irradiation did not cause any change in the β-glucan structure except the scissions of glycosidic linkages. In this study, immuno stimulation of the irradiated b-glucan was also investigated for the Swiss mice. After 28 days supplying with the irradiated b-glucan, not only cellular indexes (white blood cell, neutrophils and lymphocytes counts), but also humoral immunity indexes (IgA and IgM) of the mice significantly increased and the highest effects was obtained for the mice supplied with the oligoβ-glucan prepared by gamma irradiation at 200 kGy. Thus, the water soluble oligoβ-glucan with Mw ~ 24.9 kDa prepared by gamma radiation much stimulated the natural immune system (non-specific immunity) in mice including both the cellular and humoral immunities. Particularly, the irradiated b-glucan is a very promising product for preparation of functional foods aiming at cancer prevention.

A water soluble β-glucan of an edible mushroom Termitomyces heimii: Structural and biological investigation

A water soluble β-glucan (PS-I) with an average molecular weight ∼1.48×105Da was isolated from the alkaline extract of an edible mushroom Termitomyces heimii. PS-I contained (1→3)-, (1→6)-, (1→3, 6)-linked and terminal β-d-glucopyranosyl moieties in a ratio of nearly 2:1:1:1. Based on the total hydrolysis, methylation analysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, partial hydrolysis and 1D/2D NMR experiments the structure of the PS-I was elucidated. On the basis of these experiments, the repeating unit of the polysaccharide was found to consist of a backbone chain of two (1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl residues, one of which was branched at O-3 position with the side chain consisting of two (1→3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl and a terminal β-d-glucopyranosyl residue. Cytotoxic effect of PS-I on human blood lymphocytes at varied concentrations was studied. Moreover, it also exhibited potent antioxidant activities by diminishing the ROS and NO in the nicotine stimulated lymphocytes up to 200μg/ml.

Enhancement of the immunity and body weight gain in broiler by feeding with the brewer’s yeast β-glucan degraded by gamma Co-60 radiation

The insoluble β-glucan extracted from the cell wall of brewer’s yeast was dispersed in deionized water for swelling, then irradiated in order to degrade into water-soluble β-glucan. The results revealed that the water-soluble β-glucan contents in the irradiated samples were increased with radiation dose to 25.89, 49.07 and 66.71%; whereas their molecular weight (Mw) decreased to 48.1, 23.0 and 10.8 kDa by gamma irradiation at 100, 200 and 300 kGy, respectively. The supplementation of poultry feed with the radiation degraded β-glucan enhanced both non-specific (total white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrocytes) and specific immune components (anti-Newcastle disease, anti-Gumboro disease virus and anti-infectious bronchitis virus antibodies) in the broilers. In comparison with the control, broiler fed normal poultry foodstuff without β-glucan, the supplementation of radiation degraded β-glucan not only increased the survival rate of the testing broiler about 33.3% and their average body weight of about 24.4%, but also reduced the feed conversion rate from 4.8 to 3.1 kg. The β-glucan oligosaccharides that having Mw of about 25 kDa produced by gamma irradiation at 200 kGy showed the highest effect on the growth performance and immunomodulatory capability in the immune system of the testing broilers. This product is promising to be applied for production of the safe stimulator of immunity for broiler chickens.

Structural, immunological, and antioxidant studies of β-glucan from edible mushroom Entoloma lividoalbum

A water soluble β-glucan having molecular weight ∼2×105Da was isolated from hot water extract of the fruit bodies of an edible mushroom Entoloma lividoalbum (Kühner & Romagn) Kubička. This polysaccharide (ELPS) contains (1→3,6)-β-D-Glcp, (1→3)-β-D-Glcp, (1→6)-β-D-Glcp, and terminal β-D-Glcp moieties in a molar ratio of nearly 1:1:3:1. Chemical and spectroscopic analysis showed that the backbone of glucan consists of three (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl and two (1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl residues, out of which one (1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl moiety was branched at O-6 with a terminal β-D-glucopyranosyl residue. This β-glucan exhibited macrophage, splenocyte, and thymocyte stimulations. It possesses promising antioxidant activities as evidenced from its hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenging activities and reducing properties.

Effects of malting on molecular weight distribution and content of water-extractable β-glucans in barley

In the beer industry β-glucans are extensively studied non-starch polysaccharides due to their ability to increase the viscosity of solutions and to form gels. The current study was designed to determine the total and water-soluble β-glucan contents of barley during malting. Total and water-soluble β-glucans were analyzed from two different malts that originated from the same barley but varied in germination time from 36h (malt A) to 72h (malt B). Water-soluble β-glucans were also characterized using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography with triple-detector analysis (HPSEC-TDA) to evaluate the variation in molecular weight distributions, intrinsic viscosity, radius of gyration, Mark–Houwink parameters and polydispersity and thus the overall structural changes during malting. Total β-glucan content decreased from barley to malt due to the action of β-glucanase and was greatest in malt B (where 92% of β-glucans were degraded) which highlights the influence of germination time. β-Glucan solubility increased during malting, again particularly in malt B, where most of β-glucans became soluble. The β-glucanase activity also affected the molecular weight of the polymers which ranged from 298·103g/mol in barley to 293·103 and 218·103g/mol in malts A and B respectively. The molar mass of the most abundant fraction decreased from barley (256·103g/mol) to malt A (112·103g/mol) and malt B (89·103g/mol), again highlighting the effect of the longer germination time. Proceeding from barley to malt, the cumulative molar mass distribution function confirmed that the weight fraction of polymers below 200·103g/mol increased, while the high molecular weight fraction (between 200·103g/mol and 400·103g/mol) decreased. Moreover, the presence of a higher molecular weight fraction (14–16%) beyond 400·103g/mol which does not change during malting was observed. The Mark–Houwink constants α and log k confirmed the random coil conformation of soluble β-glucans and showed an increase in the compactness of the macromolecules from barley to malts.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel hydrogel: salecan/polyacrylamide semi-IPN hydrogel with a desirable pore structure.

Salecan is a novel water-soluble β-glucan produced by a salt-tolerant strain Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 which was isolated from a soil sample in our laboratory and the 16S rDNA sequence of this novel strain was deposited in the GenBank database under the accession number GU810841. Salecan has excellent physicochemical properties and can be used in industries such as food and medicine. In this paper, novel semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels based on salecan and polyacrylamide (PAAm) were synthesized by radical polymerization/cryopolymerization and semi-IPN techniques. The resulting hydrogels with different salecan/PAAm composition ratios and preparation temperatures were characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA and SEM measurements. The semi-IPNs exhibited a homogeneous porous architecture with a tunable pore size in a very broad range of 5-150 μm. Furthermore, swelling behaviors of the hydrogels were also studied to investigate the response properties of the hydrogels. The hydrogels obtained at subzero temperature can attain the equilibrium state in water within 260 seconds. Mechanical measurements showed that all semi-IPNs possessed good mechanical properties. In vitro degradation was also studied in PBS solution. Cytotoxicity results suggested that semi-IPN hydrogels were non-toxic to COS-7 cells. A cell culture experiment performed using COS-7 cells revealed their appropriateness for cell adhesion. Together, these results make salecan/PAAm semi-IPNs promising materials for biomedical applications.

Preparation of plant growth promoter oligoβ-glucan by gamma irradiation

The β-glucan extracted from the yeast cell wall was irradiated by gamma rays from a Co-60 source at doses from 100 to 300kGy in swelling condition of 10% (w/v) for degradation. The water soluble content of irradiated sample increased from 25.89 to 66.71% by the increasing of doses from 100 to 300kGy. While the molecular weight of water soluble β-glucan was found to be decreased from 48.13 (at 100kGy) to 10.77 kDa (at 300kGy). The UV-spectra of resultant water soluble β-glucan were appeared a new peak at 265nm with the intensity increased by the increase of the dose. The IR spectra of irradiated β-glucan samples were also recognized by an increase of peak intensity at1731cm-1 assigned to C=O linkages and a decrease of peak intensity at 1156cm-1 assigned to C-O-C glycosidic linkages by the increasing of dose. In addition, the oligoβ-glucan with Mw about 18 kDa obtained at 250kGy-irradiated sample strongly promoted the growth of mustard green and lettuce. The oligoβ-glucan prepared by radiation techniques showed as a high effective plant growth promoter. This product is potentially promising for application in high-technological agriculture for production of clean vegetables and agro-products.