Study on the immuno stimulation of radiation degraded β-glucan in swiss mice

Abstract

The mixtures β-glucan extracted from the yeast cell wall were irradiated under gamma rays from a Co-60 source at doses of 100, 200 and 300 kGy in order to prepare water-soluble β-glucan. Yields of the water soluble β-glucan produced are 25.9, 49.1, 66.71%, and their molecular weights (Mw) are 30.5, 24.9 and 10.8 kDa, respectively. There are no any new peak in the IR spectra of the irradiated β-glucan samples, but the intensity ratio between the peaks at wavenumber of 1156 cm-1 (assigned to C-O-C bond) and of 1040 cm-1 (assigned to C-C bond) in glycosidic linkages was reduced with irradiation dose. These results revealed that gamma irradiation did not cause any change in the β-glucan structure except the scissions of glycosidic linkages. In this study, immuno stimulation of the irradiated b-glucan was also investigated for the Swiss mice. After 28 days supplying with the irradiated b-glucan, not only cellular indexes (white blood cell, neutrophils and lymphocytes counts), but also humoral immunity indexes (IgA and IgM) of the mice significantly increased and the highest effects was obtained for the mice supplied with the oligoβ-glucan prepared by gamma irradiation at 200 kGy. Thus, the water soluble oligoβ-glucan with Mw ~ 24.9 kDa prepared by gamma radiation much stimulated the natural immune system (non-specific immunity) in mice including both the cellular and humoral immunities. Particularly, the irradiated b-glucan is a very promising product for preparation of functional foods aiming at cancer prevention.