Molecular Structure,Structure-Activity Relationships and Key Pharmacological Effects of β-Glucans from Mushrooms

Althoughβ-glucans isolated from medicinal and edible fungi exhibit important physiological activities,represent renewable and safe biological response modifiers(BRM),and have many potential applications,our understanding of these materials is still relatively poor.In this review,recent advances in our knowledge of the basic molecular structure,structure-activity relationships and pharmacological effects ofβ-glucans from mushrooms have been summarized,major problematical areas have been identified,and future directions for research proposed.