Table 7

Fate of Immunomodulatory Polysaccharide Products Following Oral Intake

Category

Product

Metabol-ized by human gut bacteria?

Study type

Fate

(method: tissues detected)

References

Arabinogalactans

Larix spp.

yes

in vitro

NA

[163-169]

Fucoidans

Undaria pinnatifida

no

in vitro

Ab: human plasma

[108,170]

Galactomannans

Cyamopsis tetragonolobus (partially hydrolyzed guar gum)

yes

in vivo

NA

[171]

Cyamopsis tetragonolobus (guar gum)

yes

in vitro

NA

[167]

Glucans

Hordeum vulgare

NA

in vivo

Fluorescein-labeled: mouse Mø in the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes

[73]

Laminaria digitata (laminarin)

yes

in vitro

NA

[29,170,172]

Sclerotium rofsii (scleroglucan) glucan phosphate, Laminaria spp. (laminarin)

NA

in vivo

Alexa Fluor 488-labeled: mouse intestinal epithelial cells, plasma, GALT

[29]

Saccharomyces cervisiae (particulate)

NA

in vivo

Fluorescein-labeled: mouse macrophage in the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes

[73]

Trametes versicolor

(PSK)

NA

in vivo

¹⁴C-labeled: rat and rabbit serum; mouse GI tract, bone marrow, salivary glands, liver, brain, spleen, pancreas

[173]

Mannans

Aloe barbadensis (aloemannan)

yes

in vitro

FITC-labeled: mouse, GI tract

[121,174]

Aloe barbadensis

(gel powder)

yes

in vitro

NA

[163]

Aloe barbadensis (acemannan)

NA

in vivo

¹⁴C-labeled: dog systemic, particularly liver, bone marrow, gut, kidney, thymus, spleen

(Carrington Laboratories, personal communication)

Mixed polysaccharide products

Ambrotose complex^®, Advanced Ambrotose^® powder

yes

in vitro

NA

[163,175]

Pectins

NA

yes

in vitro

NA

[165-167,176]

Buplerum falcatum (bupleuran 2IIc)

NA

in vivo

Ab bound: mouse Peyer's patch, liver

[109]

Ramberg et al. Nutrition Journal 2010 9:54   doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-54