Research has indicated that the immune health ingredient Wellmune® has a unique chemical structure that differentiates it from other glucans. Several biological activities, such as immunomodulatory effects, have been attributed to beta-glucans. Nevertheless, not all beta-glucans affect immune activity, and their benefits depend on chemical structure.
The new study, published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, Food Chemistry, shows that each source of yeast beta-glucan has a unique chemical structure. The researchers conducted a detailed structural analysis of five commercial samples of yeast beta-glucans, including Wellmune, the only one supported by over a dozen published peer-reviewed studies.
The results showed that Wellmune has a unique structure, with a different branching and linkage pattern from other samples. The study concludes that such differences are hugely accounted for by the source of the strain of yeast and methods used to isolate and purify it.
“We’ve long known that all beta-glucans are not created equal when it comes to scientifically proven health benefits. What these new findings demonstrate is that each proprietary source of yeast beta-glucan is structurally different,” said Donald Cox, R&D Director at Kerry and one of the authors of the study.
“Because Wellmune has a unique chemical structure, the wealth of research carried out on it cannot be used to claim immune health benefits for other beta-glucans. The next step is to investigate more about the way these structural differences affect functional benefits, and we hope to be at the forefront of this research,” he added.
