1 Novak M, Vetvicka V (2008) β- Glucans, history, and the present: Immunomodulatory aspects and mechanisms of actions. J Immunotoxicol 5: 47-57.

2 Braaten JT, Wood PJ, Scott FW, Wolynetz MS, Lowe MK, et al. (1994) Oat beta-glucan reduces blood cholesterol concentration in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Eur J Clin Nut 48: 465-74.

3Dong J, Cai F, Shen R, Liu Y (2012) Hypoglycemic effects and inhibitory effect on intestinal disaccharides of oat beta-glucan in streptozotoxin-induced diabetic mice. Food Chem 129: 1066-71.

4 Patchen ML, MacVittie TJ (1986) Hematopoietic effects of intravenous soluble glucan administration. J Immunopharmacol 8: 407-25.

5 Vetvicka V, Vancikova Z (2010) Anti-stress action of several orally-given β-glucans. Biomed Pap 154: 235-8.

6Welker TL, Lim C, Yildrim-Aksoy M, Shelb R, Klesius PH (2007) Immune response and resistance to stress and Edwardsiella ictaluri challenge in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, fed diets containing commercial whole-cell or yeast subcomponents. J World Aquac Soc 38: 24–35.

7 Wang YC, Chang CF, Chen HY (2013) The role of glucans in protection of shrimp against disease. Bentham Science Publishers 2: 173-94

8Hester SN, Comstock SS, Thorum SC, Monaco MH, Pence BD, et al. (2012) Intestinal and systemic immune development and response to vaccination are unaffected by dietary (1,3/1,6) β-D-glucan supplementation in neonatal piglets. Clin Vaccine Immunol 19: 1499-508.

9 Cox CM, Sumners LH, Kim S, McElroy AP, Bedford MR, et al. (2010) Immune responses to dietary beta-glucan in broiler chicks during an Eimeria challenge. Poutry Sci 89: 2597-607.

10 Bengtsson S, Aman P, Graham H, Newman CW, Newman PK (1990) Chemical studies on mixed linked b-glucans in naked barley cultivars giving different hypocholesterolemic responses in chicken. J Agric Food Sci 52: 435-45.

11 Chen KL, Weng BC, Chang BT, Liao YH, Chen TT, et al. (2008) Direct enhancement of the phagocytic and bactericidal capability of abdominal macrophage of chicks by beta-1,3-1,6-glucan. Poultry Sci 87: 2242-9.

12Cho JH, Zhang ZF, Kim IH (2013) Effects of single or combined dietary supplementation of β-glucan and kefir on growth performance, blood characteristics and meat quality in broilers. British Poultry Sci 54: 216-21.

13Vetvicka V, Oliveira C (2014) β- (1-3)(1-6)-D-glucans modulate immune status in pigs: potential importance for efficiency of commercial farming. Ann Translational Med doi:10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.32014.01.04.

14Vetvicka V, Fornusek L, Kopecek J, Kaminkova J, Kasparek L, et al. (1982) Phagocytosis of human blood leukocytes: A simple micromethod. Immunol Lett 5: 97-100.

15 Vetvicka V, Holub M, Kovaru H, Siman P, Kovaru F (1988) Alpha-fetoprotein and phagocytosis in athymic nude mice. Immunol Lett 19: 95-8.

16 Murphy P, Dal Bello F, O'Doherty JV, Arendt EK, Sweeney T, et al. (2012) Effects of cereal β-glucans and enzyme inclusion on the porcine gastrointestinal tract microbiota. Anaerobe 18: 557-65.

17Ewaschuk JB, Johnson IR, Madsen KL, Vasanthan T, Ball R, et al. (2012) Barley-derived beta-glucans increase gut permeability, ex vivo epithelial cell binding to E. coli, and naïve T-cell proportions in weaning pigs. J Anim Sci 90: 2652-62.

18 Jacob JP, Pescatore AJ (2014) Barley β-glucan in poultry diets. Ann Transl Med doi:10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.32014.01.02

19 Nerren JR, Kogut MH (2009) The selective Dectin-1 agonist, curdlan, induces an oxidative burst response in chicken heterophils and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 127: 162-6.

20 Brooks CG, Georgiou A, Jordan K (1993) The majority of immature fetal thymocytes can be induced to proliferate to IL-2 and differentiate into cells indistinguishable from mature natural killer cells. J Immunol 151: 6645-56.

21 Carpenter KC, Breslin WL, Davidson T, Adams A, McFarlin BK (2013) Baker's yeast beta-glucan supplementation increases monocytes and cytokines postexercise: implications for infection risks? Br J Nutr 109: 478-86.

22 Huff GR, Huff WE, Rath NC, Tellez G (2006) Limited treatment with beta-1,3/1,6-glucan improves production values of broiler chickens challenged with Escherichia coli. Poutry Sci 85: 613-8.

23Lambert GP (2009) Stress-induced gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction and its inflammatory effects. J Anim Sci 87: E101-8.

24 Shanmugasundaram R, Salvaraj RK (2012) In vivo lipopolysaccharide injection alters CD4+ CD25+ cell properties in chickens. J Anim Sci 90: 2498-504.

25Jiang ZY, Sun LH, Lin YC, Ma XY, Zheng CT, et al. (2009) Effects of dietary glycyl-glutamine on growth performance, small intestinal integrity, and immune responses of weaning piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide. J Anim Sci 87: 4050-56.

26Vetvicka V, Vetvickova JH (2008) A comparison of injected and orally administered beta-glucans. J Am Nutraceut Assoc 11: 42-9.

27Eicher SD, McKee CA, Carroll JA, Pajor EA (2006) Supplemental vitamin C and yeast cell wall beta-glucan as growth enhancers in newborn pigs and as immunomodulators after an endotoxin challenge after weaning. J Anim Sci 84: 2352-60.

28Li J, Li DF, Xing JJ, Cheng ZB, Lai CH (2006) Effects of beta-glucan extracted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth performance, and immunological and somatotropic responses of pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. J Anim Sci 84: 2374-81.

29Niewold TA (2007) The nonantibiotic anti-inflammatory effects of antimicrobial growth promoters, the real mode of action? A hypothesis. Poutry Sci 86: 605-9.

30Khadem A, Soler L, Averaert N, Niewold TA (2014) Growth promotion in broilers by both oxytetracycline and Macleaya cordate extract is based on their antiinflammnatory properties. Br J Nutr 112: 1100-8.

31Toth TE, Oyle RH, Caceci T, Siegel PB, Ochs D (1988) Cellular defense of the avian respiratory system: influx and nonopsonic phagocytosis by respiratory phagocytes activated by Pasteurella multocida. Inf Immun 56: 1171-9.