Immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory activities of terrestrial fungal polysaccharides: A review

Natural product research is of great importance today for discovering new bioactive sources. Fungi are considered to be an alternative to neuroprotective agents against neuronal damage due to their antiinflammatory activities as mentioned in the literature, as well as being a rich source of known natural antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer molecules. Recent studies have shown that the use of polysaccharides in clinical practice is increasing because of their nontoxic effects. The β-glucan and chitin polysaccharides obtained from the cell wall of fungi are particularly promising for the discovery of new drugs against inflammation. These molecules modulate the immune response in pathogen recognition, inflammation, and initiation by acting as receptors that recognize pathogenic molecular patterns. In this study, fungal polysaccharides compounds with antitumor, immunomodulating, and antiinflammatory activities are described, focusing on the recent literature. The production and bioactivity of fungal polysaccharides are discussed briefly.