ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the source, isolation, and purification method, as well as the chemical structure properties of β-glucan are described. Further, the modifications and its use as an encapsulating material are discussed. β-Glucan is quite diversified, and the main sources include cereals, mushrooms, yeast, and some bacteria. It has attracted attention over the years because of its physical and chemical properties. The physical and physiological properties of β-glucan are of commercial, nutritional, andnutraceutical importance. β-Glucan has various functional properties such as thickening, emulsification, stabilizing, and gelation. It exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities including anticancer, immune-enhancing, antiaging, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, β-glucan has certain limitations to be used in food systems and therefore has been subjected to various physical, chemical, and enzymatic modifications. It has a unique honeycomb structure which has not been seen in other polysaccharides and thus can be efficiently used as a wall material for bioactive ingredients. However, the limiting property of β-glucan is its size, which allows the slow release of the material encapsulated in its matrix;thus, it has been reduced to nanolevel.
