β-glucan pleuran, pediatric asthma, respiratory infections
Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in childhood: it requires maintenance therapies (according to GINA guidelines) and constant attention to factors that trigger exacerbations, such as respiratory tract infections (RTIs).
In recent years, many families have been asking for adjuvant options of natural origin, provided they are supported by evidence. In this context fits pleuran, a β-glucan extracted from the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, evaluated in a clinical study published in Scientific Reports (2025).
The goal: to understand whether adding pleuran to standard therapy can improve asthma control and reduce infections in children and adolescents with partially controlled perennial asthma.
How the study was conducted
We are talking about a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial carried out in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.
A total of 230 participants aged 7 to 17 were enrolled; 206 completed the overall 48 weeks of observation: 24 weeks of treatment followed by 24 of follow-up. The active arm received 2 capsules in the morning on an empty stomach; 100 mg of pleuran + 100 mg of vitamin C per capsule, while the placebo contained vitamin C (100 mg per capsule). Everyone maintained their usual anti-asthma therapy (ICS, ICS+LABA or ICS+LTRA; SABA/ICS+LABA as needed).
The primary endpoints were: 1) asthma control measured with C-ACT (7–11 years) or ACT (≥12 years), including a composite improvement variable (↑ ACT/C-ACT ≥3 or ↓ urgent visits/OCS/use of SABA); 2) number of RTIs. Secondary endpoints included: exacerbations, spirometry, FeNO, quality of life (PAQLQ/PACQLQ) and safety.
Key results in summary
- Asthma control in <12 years (24 weeks): C-ACT score 21.8±3.5 with pleuran vs 20.3±4.0 with placebo (P=0.02).
- Improvement in control (48 weeks, total population): 84.7% with pleuran vs 67.0% with placebo (P=0.01); in ≥12 years: 91.9% vs 64.7% (P=0.01).
- RTIs in ≥12 years: during treatment 0.7±1.0 with pleuran vs 1.9±1.7 with placebo (P=0.002); over 48 weeks 1.2±1.5 vs 3.0±3.1 (P=0.003).
- Exacerbations in <12 years (24 weeks): 2.5±1.6 with pleuran vs 3.3±1.9 with placebo (P=0.05).
- Spirometry, FeNO, quality of life: no clinically relevant difference between groups.
- Safety: no serious adverse event related; high adherence (>93%) in both arms.
What these data mean
The benefit profile of pleuran is age-dependent and affects two different clinical dimensions:
In children under 12 years, the advantage is mainly on symptom control (C-ACT) and exacerbations during the intake period. This is consistent with the idea that β-glucans can modulate allergic inflammation (typical of the perennial phenotype linked to dust mites) with concrete effects on daily life: less cough, wheeze and nighttime awakenings, less use of rescue medications.
In adolescents (≥12 years) the reduction in respiratory infections stands out, which remains evident even in follow-up. Fewer RTIs means fewer triggers for worsening and, in the medium term, better overall control (as evidenced by the high rate of “improvement in control” at 48 weeks).
The fact that spirometry and FeNO do not change significantly is not surprising: many adjuvant interventions show clinical-functional benefits (symptoms, exacerbations, infections) before changes are seen in instrumental parameters. From a practical point of view, what matters is that patients feel better and get sick less, with a reassuring safety profile.
What changes in practice
For children and adolescents with perennial allergic asthma partially controlled despite therapy according to GINA, adding pleuran + vitamin C for 24 weeks can be considered as an adjuvant in the following situations:
<12 years: when the primary goal is to optimize symptom control and limit exacerbations during the season of greater exposure to allergens.
≥12 years: when recurrent RTIs worsen the course of asthma, with the aim of reducing infections and stabilizing the clinical picture in the medium term.
It remains essential to remember that pleuran does not replace controllers (ICS ± LABA/LTRA) but complements them; the decision should be personalized based on phenotype, clinical history, family preferences and adherence to the treatment plan. Periodic monitoring with C-ACT/ACT helps measure the actual benefit.
This study provides initial controlled evidence that integration with pleuran can improve asthma control in younger children and reduce respiratory infections in adolescents, with good tolerability. Pending confirmation with biomarkers and more stringent statistical methods, pleuran emerges as a promising adjuvant option to reduce infectious morbidity.
If your company wishes to create or manufacture a product for respiratory infections:
M. Jesenak, M. Hrubisko, J. Chudek, J. Bystron, Z. Rennerova, Z. Diamant, J. Majtan, A. Emeryk. Beneficial effects of pleuran on asthma control and respiratory tract-infection frequency in children with perennial asthma. Scientific Reports 15, Art. 7146 (2025).
