An immunomodulating substance, a biological response modifier (BRM) or biotherapy is important for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. b-Glucan is a well-known BRM which is widely distributed in nature and used as a medicine and food. [1][2][3][4][5] The effects of "Lentinan" from Lentinus edodes and "Sonifilan" (SPG) from Schizophyllum commune in cancer therapy have been clinically proven.6,7) We have already developed b-glucans, GRN from Grifola frondosa, [8][9][10] SSG and TSG from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, [11][12][13] OL-2 from Omphalia lapidescens, 14) PVS and PVG from Peziza vesiculosa, 15) CSBG from Candida spp., 16) OX-ZYM from a yeast cell preparation, zymosan, 17,18) and SCG from Sparaccis crispa. 19) We have also prepared several carboxymethyl, hydroxyethyl, sulfate, and polyol derivatives of the above b-glucans.20) In addition, we have analyzed the mechanism of b-glucan mediated immunopharmacological activity and identified the conformation dependent and independent activity. [21][22][23][24][25] These rather complicated relationships between structure and activity suggest the contribution of multiple receptor-ligand interactions in b-glucan mediated immunopotentiation.The incidence of cancer is gradually increasing and the spectrum of cancer-prone organs is changing each year. In addition to surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy, immunotherapy is believed to be an important cancer therapy. 26)Immunotherapy and biotherapy include various approaches, such as BRMs, cytokines, lymphocyte transplantation, gene therapy, and herbal and alternative medicines. Clinical trials of these therapies are being widely carried out, and clinical evidence suggests their efficacy, although the precise mechanisms are still difficult to understand. The development of additional b-glucans is still needed for better biotherapy and to understand the molecular mechanisms.Agaricus blazei is a medical mushroom widely eaten and prescribed in Japan. There are various kind of health foods containing A. blazei and/or its extracts, but the molecular mechanisms of its action is far beyond complete understanding. The most anticipated pharmacological effect of A. blazei is modulation of the immune system against cancer. In the last decade, there have been several studies which focused on an antitumor polysaccharide from A. blazei, i.e., 1,6-b-glucan, glucan-protein complex, a-glucan, and heteroglycan. 27-34) Antitumor polysaccharides were screened not only in the fruitbody but also the liquid cultured medium and mycelium. One of the best characterized components, FIII-2-b, was prepared from the sodium hydroxide extract of the fruit body, and the structure was analyzed by methylation and NMR analyses. Contribution of a protein moiety to the activity of FIII-2-b was speculated by loss of the activity by partial formolysis. In the preliminary investigation, we have also determined that the major carbohydrate component of the fruit body of A. blazei is 1,6-b-glucan; however, we have already shown that a linear 1,6-b-glucan,...

We performed studies on murine models and human volunteers to examine the immunoenhancing effects of the naturally outdoor-cultivated fruit body of Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 (i.e. Agaricus blazei). Antitumor, leukocyte-enhancing, hepatopathy-alleviating and endotoxin shock-alleviating effects were found in mice. In the human study, percentage body fat, percentage visceral fat, blood cholesterol level and blood glucose level were decreased, and natural killer cell activity was increased. Taken together, the results strongly suggest that the A. brasiliensis fruit body is useful as a health-promoting food.

The development of photocatalysts that efficiently degrade organic pollutants is an important environmental-remediation objective. To that end, we report a strategy for the ready fabrication of oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride (CN) with engendered nitrogen deficiencies. The addition of KOH and oxalic acid during the thermal condensation of urea led to a material that exhibits a significantly higher pseudo-first-order rate constant for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) (0.0225 min−1) compared to that of CN (0.00222 min−1). The enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of BPA exhibited by the dual-defect-modified CN (Bt-OA-CN) is ascribable to a considerable red-shift in its light absorption compared to that of CN, as well as its modulated energy band structure and more-efficient charge separation. Furthermore, we confirmed that the in-situ-formed cyano groups in the Bt-OA-CN photocatalyst act as strong electron-withdrawing groups that efficiently separate and transfer photo-generated charge carriers to the surface of the photocatalyst. This study provides novel insight into the in-situ dual-defect strategy for g-C3N4, which is extendable to the modification of other photocatalysts; it also introduces Bt-OA-CN as a potential highly efficient visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for use in environmental-remediation applications.

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