title: Structure-function relationships of immunostimulatory polysaccharides: A review.
abstract: Immunostimulatory polysaccharides are compounds capable of interacting with the immune system and enhance specific mechanisms of the host response. Glucans, mannans, pectic polysaccharides, arabinogalactans, fucoidans, galactans, hyaluronans, fructans, and xylans are polysaccharides with reported immunostimulatory activity. The structural features that have been related with such activity are the monosaccharide and glycosidic-linkage composition, conformation, molecular weight, functional groups, and branching characteristics. However, the establishment of structure-function relationships is possible only if purified and characterized polysaccharides are used and selective structural modifications performed. Aiming at contributing to the definition of the structure-function relationships necessary to design immunostimulatory polysaccharides with potential for preventive or therapeutical purposes or to be recognized as health-improving ingredients in functional foods, this review introduces basic immunological concepts required to understand the mechanisms that rule the potential claimed immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharides and critically presents a literature survey on the structural features of the polysaccharides and reported immunostimulatory activity.
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sónia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Madureira
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vilanova
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: mac@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Coimbra
mesh_terms: D005685:Galactans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D005936:Glucans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008351:Mannans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D009088:Mucoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010368:Pectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D014990:Xylans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D005685:Galactans; D005936:Glucans; D008351:Mannans; D009088:Mucoproteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014990:Xylans; C006619:arabinogalactan proteins; D010368:Pectins; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; C007789:fucoidan
keywords: Acetylation; Branching; Glucans; Immunomodulation; Sulfation; Triple helix