Full Spectrum Beta-Glycans-Polysaccharides (FS-BGP™)
Many wood decomposing mushrooms have been shown to possess both water soluble
and insoluble beta-glycans (or beta-glucans; Dong and Fang, 2006;
Wang et al., 2001a; Bukhman). These long chains of polymeric glyconutrients are composed
of repeating units of simple sugar molecules, such as glucose. The number of sugars joined
together can be extremely large, hence the term “polysaccharides”.
Beta-glycans derived from medicinal fungi differ as they contain hundreds of sugar
molecules joined by both linear and branching linkages. These fungal derived polysaccharide
structures are important and necessary for maintaining robust health and longevity. They are
becoming increasingly recognized and explored with regards to their varied effects. So
prominent and varied are their effects that the study of beta-glycans polysaccharides
has recently been termed glycomics (Sierpina and Murray, 2006) and their actions on the immune
system have been described as biological response modifiers (Foon, KA. 1989). This paradigm
purports that specific glyconutrients impact diverse physiological and immune modulatory/regulatory
function.
Studies performed in Japan during the 1960’s identified that specific mushrooms contain
hot water soluble components that, when administered to mice, acted to prevent tumour
growth and in many cases caused complete tumour regression (Ikekawa et al., 1968; Shibata
et al., 1968). This observation was further explored in a multitude of medicinal mushrooms,
most notably Shiitake and Reishi, which coincidently had been used for millennia as folk
remedies for precisely the conditions of cancer (Wasser 2002; see below), debilitation,
life extension etc, which the researchers investigated. Generally these desirable factors
were shown to be polysaccharides of the beta-glycan type where they were soluble in hot
water and could be extracted from both the mycelium and the fruiting body.
One of the most common components of the extracted polysaccharides was shown to be simply
glucose molecules joined to one another in specific ways. Collectively they were termed
beta-glycans but variations on this theme can correlate with different physiological
effects and hence be exploited as such for immune modulation. It has been demonstrated that
when these beta-glycans are consumed, they exert a modulatory effect on the immune system.
This immunomodulation in response to fungal polysaccharides is not surprising since many
pathogenic and harmful fungi are present in the environment. Such fungal infections are
devastating and the immune system has evolved to specifically recognize and react aggressively
to invading molds. Since the polysaccharides derived from key “benign” culinary mushrooms
resemble those present in the multitude of opportunistic fungal pathogens, the immune
system acts to mount an enhanced surveillance response to even these benign food derived
materials – hence the term functional foods (Cheung, 2008)! The net effect is an alert immune
system that by default also reacts to developing cancers (antitumor; Wasser 2002), rogue –
potentially pre-cancer cells and metastatic cancer cells. The term immunomodulation more
adequately describes this effect because autoimmune conditions are also ameliorated by mushroom
derived functional foods (Cheung, 2008).
In addition to the fruiting body itself and the mycelium, the culture broth also appears to
possess desirable anti-tumor and immune enhancing compounds (Wang et al., 2001a; Bukhman et al., 2007).
This is not surprising as the mycelium grows in its natural environment, it secretes enzymes and
cellular metabolites as a way of harnessing nutrients and warding off competing fungi. This natural
adaption can be utilized to harness additional biological response modifiers. In a study by Wang
and collaborators, it was determined that the culture broth possessed extracellular polysaccharides.
These polysaccharides conferred anti-pulmonary metastatic and immunoenhancing properties and the
immune enhancing effects were shown to be conferred by increasing the levels of both T cells and
macrophages, key and principle members of the mammalian immune system (Wang et al., 2001a).
Thus to derive the most benefits, one should select a product that combines mycelium from
several of the key medicinal mushroom to ensure the broadest spectrum of beta-glycan
polysaccharides are presented unless a particular condition is being targeted
(as listed in Table 1). In addition, a
complete product which utilize both the mycelium and valuable extracellular components should also
be selected.