• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

To examine the structural properties of the proteoglycan (GMPG, Ganoderma lucidum mycelial proteoglycan) obtained from mycelia in Ganoderma lucidum IY009, we obtained the low and high molecular proteoglycan by ultrafiltration and sepharose CL-4B column chromatography. The physicochemical properties of these fractions were as follows. When the proteoglycan separated by ultrafiltration and sepharose CL-4B column chromatography, its was not fractionated completely. The molecular weight of high molecular proteoglycan by the gel column chromatography (CH) was 250 kD and 2,000 kD, and low molecular proteoglycan was 12kD. The total carbohydrate was consisted of 75.7% (UH) and 96.7% (CH), and the low fraction was 72.7% (UL) and 87.1% (CL), respectively. The sugar of high and low molecular proteoglycan composed of glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, xylose, ribose and arabinose. Glucose contents of all fraction were ranged from $46.9%{\sim}82.4%$ of the total sugar and the ratio of ${\alpha}$\;and\;{\beta}-glucose$ was $0.84{\sim}1.14$, and its indicated the proteoglycan to be ${\beta}-glucan$. Amino acids pattern showed that the fractions contained a large amount of aspartie acid, glutamic acid, alanine and leucine. These fractions showed the characteristics of IR absorption for ${\beta}-glucan$ at $890\;cm^{-1}\;and\;^{13}C-NMR$ spectroscopy showed the presence of the ${\beta}-1,3-glucan$ and a ${\beta}-1,6-glucan$.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.164-170
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• 2013

This study was carried out to compare the medicinal effects of various fruiting body of Ganoderma species and Cordyceps militaris, Phelinus linteus extracts. ${\beta}$-glucan and polyphenol are useful ingredient in mushrooms and they were known to have antioxidant activity. We analyzed ${\beta}$-glucan and polyphenol contents of fruiting body of Ganoderma spp., Cordyceps militaris, and Phellinus linteus. Most Ganoderma spp. exhibited ${\beta}$-glucan contents of 15 to 20%. Cordyceps militalis showed the highest ${\beta}$-glucan level of 25%. Interestingly, eight strains of Ganoderma spp. was analyzed to have higher contents of ${\beta}$-glucan than Phelinus linteus. Polyphenol contents was measured after extraction with different solvents. (D.W., 70% EtOH, 80% MeOH) The level of polyphenol in ASI 7020 strain was at maximum in the water extraction and ASI 7086 showed the highest level in the 70% EtOH extraction. The amounts of polyphenol in strain ASI 7113 was at maximum in the 80% MeOH extraction.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.967-973
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• 2020

The fungal cell wall is a major target of antifungals. In this study, we report the antifungal activity of an ethanol extract from Aucklandia lappa against Candida albicans. We found that the extract caused cell wall injury by decreasing chitin synthesis or assembly and (1,3)-β-D-glucan synthesis. A sorbitol protection assay demonstrated that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the A. lappa extract against C. albicans cells increased eight-fold from 0.78 to 6.24 mg/ml in 72 h. Cell aggregates, which indicate damage to the cell wall or membrane, were commonly observed in the A. lappatreated C. albicans cells through microscopic analysis. In addition, the relative fluorescence intensities of the C. albicans cells incubated with the A. lappa extract for 3, 5, and 6 h were 92.1, 84.6, and 79.8%, respectively, compared to the controls, estimated by Calcofluor White binding assay. This result indicates that chitin content was reduced by the A. lappa treatment. Furthermore, synthesis of (1,3)-β-D-glucan polymers was inhibited to 84.3, 79.7, and 70.2% of that of the control treatment following incubation of C. albicans microsomes with the A. lappa extract at a final concentration equal to its MIC, 2× MIC, and 4× MIC, respectively. These findings suggest that the A. lappa ethanol extract may aid the development of a new antifungal to successfully control Candidaassociated disease.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1388-1391
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• 2005

Temporal changes of cell growth pattern and intracellular content of $\beta$-D-glucans were investigated with off-gas data in Agaricus blazei culture where glucose was intermittently fed. It was observed that the time point of carbon source depletion coincided with the point of sudden drop in the carbon dioxide evolution rate (CER), and that the sole supplementation of glucose was not enough to maintain active cell growth and glucan content. On the other hand, when yeast extract, a typical nitrogen source, was supplemented together with glucose when the CER suddenly dropped because of carbon source depletion, an active cell growth could be maintained until the end of the culture and the glucan content did not decrease with culture time, significantly enhancing glucan productivity.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.151-157
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• 2001

In order to breed barley lines with reduced viscosity of wort, a fractured starch mutant of naked barley cultivar, Nubet, was obtained from the M2 seeds mutated by the diethyl sulfate treatment. Seeds of this fractured starch mutant were opaque and the endosperm consists of angular, irregular and fractured starch. The mutant was caused by single recessive mutation and assigned by the symbol fra. The gene was located on chromosome 4, distal in long arm by linkage recombinations using translocation homozygote lethal test set. The linkage value between the fractured starch mutant and 72-4a, 72-4d were 26.0$\pm$4.9, 34.2$\pm$3.1 percent respectively. In addition to the reduced seed size, fewer kernels per spike and higher tillering ability, lower $\beta$-glucan viscosity and higher lysine content of the grain were associated with this mutant. $\beta$-glucan viscosity of the Nubet grains increased from 3 weeks after anthesis to matury and most of the viscose substances appeared to be stored in the middle of the endosperm tissue. Since the mutant grains showed better milling property as compared to Nubet, it can be used as breeding resources to develope new barley cultivars for maltins and milling purpose.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 1988

The effect of Ca2+ and polyamines on the activity $\beta$-glucan synthetase II(GSII) related to cell wall synthesis was studied in carrot suspension cultured cells. The activity of GS II is four times higher than that of $\beta$-glucan synthetase I in carrot suspension cultured cells and in vitro expreiment, the activity of GSII was increased in response to increase in concentration of Ca2+ and polyamines. When carrot suspension cultured cells were incubated together with Ca2+ and polyamines, the GSII activity was high at 0.1mM of Ca2+ and 1mM of putrescine. Also, polycationic poly-L-lysine and poly-L-ornithine increased about 50% the GSII activity than that of the control, respectively. These results may imply that Ca2+ and polyamines were related to the enzyme activity as a polycationic nature. In addition, verapamil as the calcium channel blocker and flunarizine as an antagonist of calcium mechanism in cytoplasm decreased GSII activity ramarkably, Ca2+ and calmodulin stimulated GSII activity as Ca2+ of free ion rather than Ca2+ calmodulin complex. The effect of 2,4-D on the GSII activity in culture medium is shown to be low at 0.1mg per liter and GSII activity increased about 30% more than that of the 0.1mg/l at the range of 0.3-1.0mg per litere. Cummulative results suggest that Ca2+ and polyfamines stimulate the cell wall synthesis by means of the enhancement of GSII activity responsible for synthesizing the cell wall components.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.818-822
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• 2009

A ${\beta}-1$,3-1,4-glucanase from the fungus Laetiporus sulphureus var. miniatus was purified as a single 26 kDa band by ammonium sulfate precipitation, HiTrap Q HP, and UNO Q ion-exchange chromatography, with a specific activity of 29 U/mg. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was 52 kDa as a dimer by gel filtration. ${\beta}-1$,3-1,4-Glucanase showed optimum activity at pH 4.0 and $75^{\circ}C$. The half-lives of the enzyme at $70^{\circ}C$ and $75^{\circ}C$ were 152 h and 22 h, respectively. The enzyme showed the highest activity for barley ${\beta}$-glucan as ${\beta}-1$,3-1,4-glucan among the tested polysaccharides and p-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-D-glycosides with a $K_m$, of 0.67 mg/ml, a $k_{cat}$ of 13.5 $S^{-1}$ and a $k_{cat}/K_m$ of 20 mg/ml/s.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2003

Background: $\beta$-1,3-glucans are well known to enhance the immune reactions, resulting in antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, anticoagulatory and wound healing activities. $\beta$-1, 3-glucans have various activities depending on molecular weight, degree of branching, conformation, water-solubility and intermolecular association. However, the $\beta$-1,3-glucan linked backbone structure is essential and $\beta$-D-glucopyranosyl units are required for immuno-potentiating activities. Result: In this study, we tested the immunophamacological activities of soluble $\beta$-1,3-glucans and confirmed the following activities: (1) $IFN-{\gamma}$ production in PBMCs in the presence or the absence of PHA, LPS, or IL-18; (2) induction of various cytokines in the spleen and thymus; (3) adjuvant effect on the antibody production; (4) nitrogen oxide synthesis in macrophages; (5) the cytotoxic and antitumor effects on cell lines and ICR mice. Conclusion: These results strongly suggested that $\beta$-1,3-glucans possessed various immuno-pharmacological activities.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2008

This study examined the chemical composition of A. blasiliensis and the chemical structural properties of an immuno-stimulating polysaccharide. The amino acids, free sugars, and organic acids by HPLC and fatty acids by GC were analyzed. The immuno-stimulating substance from A. blasiliensis was extracted with hot water and purified by ethanol precipitation. It underwent ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Toyopearl HW 65F. Through GP-HPLC, the substance was found to be homogeneous. Its chemical structure was determined by $^{13}C-NMR$. Fatty acids, organic acids, and sugar alcohol composition consisted exclusively of linoleic acid, fumaric acid and mannitol, respectively. The amino acids were mainly glutamic acid, glycine, and arginine. By $^{13}C-NMR$ analysis, the immuno-stimulating substance was identified as ${\beta}-(1{\rightarrow}3)\;(1{\rightarrow}6)$-glucan, composed of a backbone with $(1{\rightarrow}3)$-linked D-glucopyranosyl residues branching a $(1{\rightarrow}6)$-linked D-glucopyranosyl residue. The ${\beta}$-glucan from A. blasiliensis showed pronounced immuno-stimulating activity on the antibody-production ability of B-lymphocytes by the hemolytic suspension assay. In these results, A. blasiliensis was estimated to have potent pharmacological properties and potential nutritional values.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.493-499
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• 2023

In this study we evaluated the immune-enhancing effects of β-glucan, the main component of Euglena gracilis (Euglena), and Euglena on inflammatory factor expression in RAW264.7 macrophages and ICR mice with cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression. Macrophages were treated with β-glucan or Euglena for 48 h. The β-glucan and Euglena groups exhibited higher levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α than the control (vehicle alone) group. Animals were fed saline and β-glucan (400 mg/kg body weight (B.W.)) or Euglena (400 or 800 mg/kg B.W.) for 19 days, and on days 17-19, cyclophosphamide (CCP, 80 mg/kg B.W.) was administered to induce immunosuppression in the ICR mouse model. CCP reduced the body weight, spleen index, and cytokine expression of the mice. To measure cytokine and receptor expression, splenocytes were treated with concanavalin A (ConA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a mitogen for 24 h. In vivo, ConA stimulation significantly upregulated the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12 receptor β1, IL-1β, and IL-2 in splenocytes from the β-glucan- or Euglena-treated groups compared with those in the splenocytes from the CCP-treated group; LPS stimulation increased the levels of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in splenocytes from the β-glucan- or Euglena- treated groups compared with those from the CCP-treated group, but most of these differences were not significant. These results demonstrate the effect of Euglena in ameliorating macrophages and immunosuppression in CCP-treated mice. Thus, Euglena has the potential to enhance macrophage- and splenocyte- mediated immune-stimulating responses.