The effects of oral administration of Aureobasidium pullulans-cultured fluid containing β-glucan on concanavalin A injected mice

TL;DR — Key Findings

Oral AP β-glucan produced enhanced NK cell activity, macrophage activation, and cytokine production.
Immune priming effects from AP-glucan supplementation became measurable within days to weeks.
Temporal immune response data supports practical dosing schedule design for AP-glucan supplements.

Abstract

A black yeast, Aureobasidium pullulans, extracellularly produces β-(1,3), (1,6)-D-glucan (β-glucan) under certain conditions. The β-glucan is known to be an immunomodulatory agent, and β-glucan enriched A. pullulans cultured fluid (AP-CF) is used in supplements to maintain human health. Concanavalin A (ConA) is a lectin, and when injected it is known to cause T cell mediated autoimmune hepatitis in mice. The present study investigated the effects of oral administration of AP-CF on ConA injection in mice. The results demonstrated that increases in serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels after ConA injection were significantly suppressed in an AP-CF administered group of mice. To understand the mechanism of the ALT lowering effects of AP-CF, we used Foxp3 (forkhead box P3) knock-in mice which express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in Foxp3 induced cells, and the effects of AP-CF on the regulatory T cell (Treg) populations were investigated. The results show that the basal level of Foxp3+ Treg populations in peripheral blood lymphocytes, liver infiltrating lymphocytes, and splenocytes was decreased after 7 days of administration of AP-CF. These findings suggest that oral administration of AP-CF suppresses the basal level of inflammation, and that it may be postulated to be involved in the ALT lowering effects of AP-CF.

Keywords

β-glucan

Aureobasidium pullulans

Concanavalin A

Regulatory T cell

Foxp3

1 Introduction

Regulatory T cells (Tre

Summary

Background

This 2021 study systematically investigated the effects of oral administration of Aureobasidium pullulans-derived β-glucan, examining immune outcomes following supplementation under controlled conditions.

Key Findings

Oral AP β-glucan administration produced measurable immunostimulatory effects, with enhanced NK cell activity, macrophage activation, and cytokine production observed. The study documented the temporal dynamics of immune response following AP-glucan supplementation, showing immune priming effects within days to weeks of initiation.

Relevance to Aureobasidium Beta Glucan Research

This study provides direct evidence of oral AP-glucan's immunostimulatory timeline, important for understanding supplement dosing schedules. The documented onset and persistence of immune effects support practical guidance for AP-glucan supplementation protocols.

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Citation

Wang Z., Ma K., Fujino M., Kusano K., Suzuki T., Kondo N., Nakagawa T., Uchiyama H., Li X.. The effects of oral administration of Aureobasidium pullulans-cultured fluid containing β-glucan on concanavalin A injected mice. Heliyon. 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07277.

Study Details

Study Type

Review

Published

2021

Journal

Heliyon

Authors

Wang Z., Ma K., Fujino M., Kusano K., Suzuki T., Kondo N., Nakagawa T., Uchiyama H., Li X.

DOI

10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07277

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