Role of vitamin C and β-glucans on the immune system: review

Abstract

There is growing interest in meeting nutritional tools available to professionals to manage the modulation of the human immune system. This literature review focuses on the potential beneficial effects on the immune system attributed to β-glucans composed of Pleurotus ostreatus products and/or vitamin C. It shows the results obtained in different studies with the intake of these components on the immune system and the specific effect on immune markers as interleukins, lymphocytes, Natural Killer cells, and leukocytes. Serving not only the mechanisms but to experiences in in vitro and in vivo models (animal and human). Both vitamin C and β-glucans appear to show efficacy on the immune system in several studies, especially administered together, but more research is needed.