ABSTRACT
Immunostimulants .................................................... 435 18.2.2 Biopolymer Immunostimulants ................................................ 436
18.2.2.1 Peptides and Proteins ................................................ 436 18.2.2.2 Protein Polysaccharide Complexes ........................... 439 18.2.2.3 Nonglucan Polysaccharides ...................................... 440 18.2.2.4 Glucans ..................................................................... 443
18.2.3 Nonchemically De ned Immunostimulants ............................. 445 18.2.4 Spirulina and Chlorella ............................................................ 446
18.2.4.1 Spirulina ................................................................... 446 18.2.4.2 Chlorella ................................................................... 446
18.2.5 Shark Cartilage ......................................................................... 452 18.2.5.1 ONC-106 ................................................................... 453
18.3 Discussion .............................................................................................. 455 References ......................................................................................................... 457
It has become increasingly accepted that nutrition and health are closely interconnected. There has also been a shift in the concept of optimal nutrition from simply preventing diseases stemming from malnutrition, to reducing the risk of chronic disease [1,2]. Intense research has focused on the effect that nutrition has on the immune system and its proper functioning, and also on the changes in nutrient utilization caused by immune response [3-6]. Consequently, a great deal
of attention has been paid to the management of chronic disease involving the immune system and naturally, to agents capable of modifying immune response, also known as immunomodulators.
