The skin barrier, primarily composed of the stratum corneum, serves as a vital defense, preventing water loss and protecting against external damage. However, various factors, including genetic predispositions and immune response abnormalities, can lead to skin conditions characterized by barrier dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, and delayed wound healing, such as atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. These conditions present significant therapeutic challenges, often requiring treatments aimed at alleviating symptoms, controlling inflammation, and repairing the skin barrier. β-glucan, a natural polysaccharide found in diverse sources like plants, fungi, bacteria, and algae, has long been recognized for its significant immunomodulatory effects, earning the moniker “the immune gold”. More recently, its multifaceted bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and moisturizing properties, have garnered increasing attention for their potential application in skin care. Given these broad therapeutic potentials, β-glucan is being explored as a promising candidate for addressing a range of skin issues.
Key Findings
•β-glucan is a natural polysaccharide with significant immunomodulatory effects and various other bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and moisturizing effects, demonstrating potential for skin care applications.
•The biological activity of β-glucan is heavily influenced by its source, molecular structure (molecular weight, glycosidic bond types, branching degree, chain conformation), and physicochemical properties (solubility, viscosity, gelation).
•Specific structural features like β-(1 → 3)-D-glucan linkages are crucial for interaction with immune receptors like Dectin-122 . Branching degree and molecular weight also significantly impact biological activity, although optimal ranges can vary depending on the source and desired effect.
•β-glucan’s solubility is a key factor influencing its biological activity, with particulate β-glucans being effective at activating dendritic cells and macrophages through Dectin-1, while water-soluble forms may reduce the risk of overactive immune responses. Modifications can enhance solubility and bioactivity.
•Mechanistically, β-glucan exerts immunomodulatory effects by binding to receptors on immune cells (e.g., Dectin-1, CR3). It also modulates inflammatory mediators to produce anti-inflammatory effects.
•Its antioxidant effects involve scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and modulating the body’s antioxidant system, offering protection against oxidative damage, including lipid peroxidation.
•β-glucan plays a crucial role in barrier repair by activating signaling pathways (e.g., Dectin-1-ERK/p38-CaSR pathway), promoting keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation, enhancing intercellular junctions, and stimulating dermal fibroblast activity and collagen synthesis.
•Its moisturizing effects stem from its molecular structure, which allows it to form a film on the skin and retain moisture.
•Studies also indicate potential for UV protection and anti-aging benefits by combating oxidative stress, enhancing collagen production, and inhibiting enzymes involved in skin aging.
•Clinical studies have shown positive results for topical and oral β-glucan in promoting wound healing (e.g., venous ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, post-laser treatment recovery).
•Limited clinical research suggests potential in alleviating symptoms of mild-to-moderate Atopic dermatitis, with observed reductions in itching and eczema severity.
•Clinical trials support β-glucan’s role in anti-aging (reducing wrinkles, improving elasticity, firmness, and hydration) and protection against UV damage (alleviating erythema).
•Beta-glucan also shows clinical support for improving other skin conditions like stretch marks, contact dermatitis, and foot xerosis, and has therapeutic potential for recurrent candidiasis and HPV-related lesions.
β-glucan stands out as a bioactive natural polysaccharide with broad and validated application potential in skin care, demonstrating significant effects on immune modulation, oxidation, inflammation, barrier repair, and moisturization43 . Clinical evidence highlights its efficacy in treating challenging conditions such as chronic wounds, and in protecting against UV damage and photoaging. The novelty of this review lies partly in its systematic summary of clinical applications in dermatology and its specific focus on the potential, currently unexplored, use of β-glucan in treating Seborrheic Dermatitis and Psoriasis, hypothesizing therapeutic benefits based on shared immunopathological features with Atopic dermatitis and β-glucan’s known effects on inflammation, immune modulation, barrier repair, and moisturization. Looking ahead, future research needs to deepen the understanding of β-glucan’s exact mechanisms of action in the skin, investigate the optimal structures and sources for specific applications, and focus on developing improved formulations to enhance its solubility and bioavailability for topical use. Modification techniques are also key to unlocking further potential. With continued advancements in research, β-glucan is poised to offer increasingly scientific and effective solutions for a wide range of skin health concerns.
Link to the study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.70212
