Tunable transition temperatures of engineered beta-1,3-glucan

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various products / compositions, such as personal care products and pharmaceutical products, that comprise beta-1,3-glucan. The beta-1,3-glucan can have a degree of polymerization (DP) of 8 to 27 or 8 to 16, and at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1,3-glucan are beta-1,3 glycosidic linkages, for example. The beta-1,3-glucan typically is dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in non-aqueous conditions or low-aqueous conditions within the product. Methods are further disclosed for preparing and using these products.

Description

[0001] TUNABLE TRANSITION TEMPERATURES OF ENGINEERED BETA-1 ,3-GLUCAN

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Appl. Nos. 63 / 702,327 (filed October 2, 2024) and 63 / 702,321 (filed October 2, 2024), which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure is in the field of polysaccharides. For example, the disclosure pertains to products comprising beta-1 , 3-glucan, methods for their production, and applications of using such products.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Sucrose has been the mainstay sugar as a crystalline bulking agent in food products. Therein, the sucrose needs to stay crystalline in a non-aqueous environment at elevated temperatures, but then then needs to dissolve in an aqueous environment at body temperature. While sucrose generally can satisfy these requirements, this ingredient carries with it a plethora of human health concerns.

[0007] Currently, it is understood that there are no economically viable alternatives that can be used in bulk amounts for replacing sucrose in the ingredients marketplace to provide the above crystallinity profile to food and other products. Incumbent sucrose replacements typically have several drawbacks. For example, amorphous bulk sugar replacements do not retain crystallinity during processing, and crystalline sugar replacements have difficulty dissolving in water at body temperature. Furthermore, incumbent sugar replacements can be prohibitively expensive to produce, and still count as sugar on nutritional labels and / or have low digestive tolerance.

[0008] Thus, further work is warranted to provide sucrose alternatives having a suitable crystallinity profile and other benefits for consumers.

[0009] SUMMARY

[0010] In one embodiment, the present disclosure concerns a method comprising: applying a product of the present disclosure to the skin and / or a body orifice of a human, wherein the product comprises beta-1 , 3-glucan, wherein the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 27, wherein at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages, and wherein the beta- 1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in non-aqueous conditions or low- aqueous conditions within the product.

[0011] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 : Shown are solubility (“melting”) curves for various beta-1 , 3-glucan molecular weight species in aqueous conditions. Refer to Example 1. FIG. 2: Shown are solubilization (“melting”) temperatures for various beta-1 , 3- glucan molecular weight species in aqueous conditions. Refer to Example 1 .

[0013] FIG. 3: Shown are cream compositions comprising sucrose and / or beta-1 , 3- glucan powder. Refer to Example 2.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The disclosures of all cited patent and non-patent literature are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0016] The disclosures of all cited patent and non-patent literature are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0017] Unless otherwise disclosed, the terms “a” and “an” as used herein are intended to encompass one or more (i.e. , at least one) of a referenced feature.

[0018] Where present, all ranges are inclusive and combinable, except as otherwise noted. For example, when a range of “1 to 5” (i.e., 1-5) is recited, the recited range should be construed as including ranges “1 to 4”, “1 to 3”, “1-2”, “1-2 & 4-5”, “1-3 & 5”, and the like. The numerical values of the various ranges in the present disclosure, unless expressly indicated otherwise, are stated as approximations as though the minimum and maximum values within the stated ranges were both proceeded by the word “about”. In this manner, slight variations above and below the stated ranges can typically be used to achieve substantially the same results as values within the ranges. Also, the disclosure of these ranges is intended as a continuous range including each and every value between the minimum and maximum values.

[0019] It is intended that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.

[0020] It is to be appreciated that certain features of the present disclosure, which are, for clarity, described above and below in the context of aspects / embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single element. Conversely, various features of the disclosure that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single aspect / embodiment, can also be provided separately or in any sub-combination; i.e., the aspects / embodiments disclosed herein relate, where applicable, to all other aspects / embodiments of the disclosure, even if such applicability is not separately disclosed herein.

[0021] A “glucan” herein is a type of polysaccharide that is a polymer of glucose (polyglucose). A glucan can be comprised of, for example, about, or at least about, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% by weight glucose monomeric units. An example of a glucan herein is beta-glucan.

[0022] The terms “beta-glucan”, “beta-glucan polymer” and the like are used interchangeably herein. A beta-glucan is a polymer comprising glucose monomeric units linked together by beta-glycosidic linkages. In typical aspects, the glycosidic linkages of a beta-glucan herein are about, or at least about, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% beta-glycosidic linkages. An example of a beta-glucan polymer herein is beta-1 , 3- glucan.

[0023] The terms “beta-1 , 3-glucan”, “poly beta-1 , 3-glucan”, “beta-1 , 3-glucan polymer” and the like are used interchangeably herein. Beta-1 , 3-glucan is a beta-glucan comprising glucose monomeric units linked together by glycosidic linkages, wherein at least about 80% of the glycosidic linkages are beta-1 ,3. Beta-1 , 3-glucan in some aspects comprises about, or at least about, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 100% beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

[0024] The terms “linkage”, “glycosidic linkage”, “glycosidic bond” and the like refer to the covalent bonds connecting the sugar monomers within a saccharide compound (oligosaccharides and / or polysaccharides). The term “beta-1 ,3-glycosidic linkage” as used herein refers to the type of covalent bond that joins beta-D-glucose molecules to each other through carbons 1 and 3 on adjacent beta-D-glucose rings. The glycosidic linkages of a glucan polymer herein can also be referred to as “glucosidic linkages”. Herein, “beta-D-glucose” is referred to as “glucose”, unless otherwise noted.

[0025] The glycosidic linkage profile of an beta-glucan can be determined using any method known in the art. For example, a linkage profile can be determined using methods using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (e.g.,13C NMR and / or1H NMR). These and other methods that can be used are disclosed in, for example, Food Carbohydrates: Chemistry, Physical Properties, and Applications (S. W. Cui, Ed., Chapter 3, S. W. Cui, Structural Analysis of Polysaccharides, Taylor & Francis Group LLC, Boca Raton, FL, 2005), which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0026] The “molecular weight” of a beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can be represented as weight-average molecular weight (Mw) or number-average molecular weight (Mn), the units of which are in Daltons (Da) or grams / mole. In some aspects, molecular weight can be represented as DPw (weight-average degree of polymerization) or DPn (numberaverage degree of polymerization). DPw and DPn are calculated from the corresponding Mw or Mn, respectively, by dividing by the molar mass of one monomer unit Mi. In the case of glucan polymer, Mi = 162.14. In some aspects (e.g., oligosaccharides), molecular weight can sometimes be provided as “DP” (degree of polymerization), which simply refers to the number of glucoses comprised within the beta-1 , 3-glucan on an individual molecule basis. Various means are known in the art for calculating these various molecular weight measurements such as with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), or gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

[0027] As used herein, Mw can be calculated as Mw = ZNiMi21 ZNiMi; where Mi is the molecular weight of an individual chain i and Ni is the number of chains of that molecular weight. Besides SEC, the Mw of a polymer can be determined by other techniques such as static light scattering, mass spectrometry, MALDI-TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization time-of-flight), small angle X-ray or neutron scattering, or ultracentrifugation. As used herein, Mn can be calculated as Mn = ZNiMi I ZNi where Mi is the molecular weight of a chain i and Ni is the number of chains of that molecular weight. Besides SEC, the Mn of a polymer can be determined by various colligative property methods such as vapor pressure osmometry, end-group determination by spectroscopic methods such as proton NMR, proton FTIR, or UV-Vis.

[0028] The term “sucrose” herein refers to a non-reducing disaccharide composed of an alpha-D-glucose molecule and a beta-D-fructose molecule linked by an alpha-1 , 2- glycosidic bond. Sucrose is known commonly as table sugar. Sucrose can alternatively be referred to as “alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1^2)-beta-D-fructofuranoside”. “Alpha-D- glucopyranosyl” and “glucosyl” are used interchangeably herein.

[0029] A composition herein that is “dry” or “dried” typically has less than 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 , 0.5, or 0.1 wt% water comprised therein.

[0030] The terms “aqueous liquid”, “aqueous fluid”, “aqueous conditions”, “aqueous setting”, “aqueous system” and the like as used herein can refer to water, aqueous solution, or other liquid comprising water. An “aqueous solution” herein can comprise one or more dissolved salts, where the maximal total salt concentration can be about 3.5 wt% in some aspects. Although aqueous liquids herein typically comprise water as the only solvent in the liquid, an aqueous liquid can optionally comprise one or more other solvents (e.g., polar organic solvent) that are miscible in water. An aqueous liquid can comprise a solvent having at least about 80 wt% water, for example. An example of an aqueous fluid herein is fluid that comprises saliva.

[0031] “Non-aqueous conditions”, “non-aqueous medium” and like terms herein typically refer to a composition that comprises no water, or no detectable water. “Low-aqueous conditions”, “low-aqueous medium” and like terms herein refer to a composition that comprises about, or less than about, 5 wt% water, for example.

[0032] An “aqueous composition” herein has a liquid component that comprises about, or at least about, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, 99, or 100 wt% water, for example. Examples of aqueous compositions include mixtures, solutions, dispersions (e.g., colloidal dispersions), suspensions and emulsions, for example.

[0033] As used herein, the terms “colloidal dispersion”, “dispersion”, and the like refer to a heterogeneous system having a dispersed phase and a dispersion medium, i.e. , microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another substance (e.g., a non-aqueous or low-aqueous composition such as oil and / or fat). All, or a portion of, the particles of a colloidal dispersion can comprise insoluble beta-1 ,3- glucan as presently disclosed. “Dispersing” herein refers to the act of preparing a dispersion. An “emulsion” herein is a dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another liquid in which the droplets are not soluble or miscible. An emulsion can further comprise dispersed beta-1 , 3-glucan herein, for example, which optionally can stabilize the emulsion.

[0034] Compositions of the present disclosure can be a stable dispersion or stable emulsion, for example. The “stability” (or the quality of being “stable”) of a dispersion or emulsion herein is, for example, the ability of dispersed particles of a dispersion, or liquid droplets dispersed in another liquid (emulsion), to remain dispersed (e.g., about, or at least about, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or 100 wt% of the particles of the dispersion or liquid droplets of the emulsion are in a dispersed state) for a period of about, or at least about, 1 , 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, or 36 months following initial preparation of the dispersion or emulsion. A stable dispersion or emulsion in some aspects can resist total sedimentation, flocculation, creaming, and / or coalescence of dispersed / emulsified material.

[0035] The term “viscosity” as used herein refers to the measure of the extent to which a fluid (aqueous or non-aqueous) resists a force tending to cause it to flow. Various units of viscosity that can be used herein include centipoise (cP, cps) and Pascal-second (Pa s), for example. A centipoise is one one-hundredth of a poise; one poise is equal to 0.100 kg m-1S’1. The terms “crystalline”, “crystalline solid”, “crystal” and like terms herein refer to a solid material whose constituents are arranged in a regularly ordered structure forming a lattice; such material can optionally be a portion of a larger composition having both crystalline and amorphous regions. An “amorphous” material is non-crystalline in that its constituents are not organized in a definite lattice pattern, but rather are randomly organized. Crystalline materials, but not amorphous materials, usually have a characteristic geometric shape. The terms “crystallinity”, “crystallinity index” (Cl), “degree of crystallinity” and the like herein refer to the fractional amount (mass fraction or volume fraction) of a beta-1 ,3-glucan herein that is crystalline, and can be referred to in decimal or percentage form (e.g., a crystallinity of 0.65 corresponds to a crystallinity of 65%). Crystallinity herein can be as measured using techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), infrared spectroscopy, and / or density measurements according to, for example, Struszczyk et al. (1987, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 33:177-189), U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. 2015 / 0247176, 2010 / 0233773, or 2015 / 0152196, or International Patent Appl. Publ. No. WO201 8 / 081263, which are all incorporated herein by reference.

[0036] The term “hydrophobic” herein refers to a molecule / compound (e.g., additive herein) that is nonpolar and has little or no affinity to water, and tends to repel water. The term “hydrophilic” herein refers to a molecule / compound (e.g., additive herein) that is polar and has affinity to interact with polar solvents (e.g., water) and / or with other polar groups. A hydrophilic molecule tends to attract water.

[0037] The term “oil” as used herein typically refers to a lipid that is liquid at 25 °C and that is hydrophobic and soluble in organic solvents. Oil is typically composed primarily of triacylglycerols, but may also contain other neutral lipids, as well as phospholipids and free fatty acids. An oil herein is typically from a plant or animal source, but can also be from a mineral source, for example.

[0038] Unless otherwise disclosed, the terms “phosphorylase”, “phosphorylase enzyme” and the like as used herein refer to a particular class of enzymes belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase 94 (GH94) family according to the CAZy (Carbohydrate-Active EnZymes) database (cazy.org website; see Cantarel et al., 2009, Nucleic Acids Res. 37:D233-238, incorporated herein by reference). Such a phosphorylase can reversibly catalyze synthesis (such reversibility is typically only under isolated / / / ? vitro conditions) of a certain type of disaccharide, oligosaccharide, or polysaccharide (e.g., beta-glucan) and free phosphate (reaction products) from alpha-glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha-G1 P) and a suitable acceptor (reaction substrates). A “beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase” (or “phosphorylase enzyme that synthesizes beta-1 , 3-glucan”, “1 ,3-beta-D-glucan phosphorylase”, and like terms) herein catalyzes synthesis of beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkage-containing oligosaccharides or polysaccharides and free phosphate from alpha- G1 P and a suitable acceptor. A beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase is of the Enzyme Commission (EC) entry 2.4.1.97, and in certain aspects catalyzes the following reversible reaction: alpha-G1 P + (1 ,3-beta-D-glucosyl)n-i <--> (1,3-beta-glucosyl)n+ phosphate; while “(1 ,3-beta-D-glucosyl)n-i” is shown as an acceptor in this reaction, a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase can use other acceptor types such as those disclosed herein. A beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase in some aspects can be as disclosed in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2019 / 0322990, which is incorporated herein by reference. Depending on the acceptor used in a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction herein, a beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkage-containing oligosaccharide or polysaccharide product can (i) be comprised entirely of glucose monomeric units (when acceptor itself is comprised only of one or more glucose units in certain aspects), or (ii) comprise non-glucose monosaccharide units and / or non-saccharide moieties in addition to glucose units (when acceptor itself comprises such other monosaccharide units and / or moieties). Either of these product types (i or ii), for example, can optionally be characterized with respect to the beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkage-containing oligosaccharide or polysaccharide that was synthesized from the acceptor (i.e. , the product linkage profile does not necessarily include the linkages of the acceptor).

[0039] The terms “acceptor”, “acceptor molecule”, “acceptor compound” and the like are used interchangeably herein. A suitable acceptor herein is contemplated to be an organic molecule comprising at least one hydroxyl moiety (-OH), which hydroxyl moiety is capable of being involved in formation of a glycosidic linkage (involving the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl moiety) with the 1 -position of glucose of alpha-G1 P (phosphate group is replaced during linkage formation) via catalytic activity of a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase herein. A suitable acceptor can be a carbohydrate or non-carbohydrate. Examples of non-carbohydrate acceptors include alcohols, polyols, phenolic compounds, and amino acids. Examples of carbohydrate acceptors include disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides; all or some of the monomeric units of a carbohydrate acceptor in some embodiments can be glucose units. The nonreducing end of a carbohydrate acceptor is typically involved in glycosidic linkage formation. The term “initial acceptor” can optionally be used herein to characterize an acceptor as used when preparing a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction. An initial acceptor has not yet had a glucose linked to it by beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase. During a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction, an acceptor typically serves iteratively as an acceptor for subsequent glucose addition by the phosphorylase.

[0040] “Glucose- 1 -phosphate” (G1 P) as used herein refers to a glucose molecule with a phosphate group on the 1-carbon. G1 P herein typically is alpha-D-glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha-G1P), which is D-glucopyranose with alpha configuration at the anomeric center. Unless as otherwise disclosed, G1 P herein is not beta-D-glucose-1 -phosphate (beta- G1 P).

[0041] “Inorganic phosphate”, which can be denoted as “P”, refers to a free phosphate ion in solution, and is distinguished from phosphate as bound in a phosphate ester such as G1 P.

[0042] The terms “enzymatic reaction”, “enzymatic reaction composition”, “glucan phosphorylase reaction”, “beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction” and like terms are used interchangeably herein and, except as otherwise noted, refer to a reaction that is performed by a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme. An enzymatic reaction generally refers to an aqueous solution / preparation comprising at least alpha-G1 P, an acceptor, and an active beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme. It is in such a reaction where the step of contacting water, alpha-G1 P, acceptor and beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme is performed. The term “under suitable reaction conditions” and like terms refer to reaction conditions that support conversion of substrates (alpha-G1 P and acceptor) to beta-1 , 3-glucan (as extended from the acceptor) and free phosphate products via beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase activity.

[0043] The term “laminaribiose” (also known as “beta-1 , 3-glucobiose”) as used herein refers to the disaccharide 3-beta-D-glucosyl-D-glucose.

[0044] The terms “sequence identity”, “identity” and the like as used herein with respect to a polypeptide amino acid sequence (e.g., that of a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase) can be as defined and determined in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2017 / 0002336, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0045] Various polypeptide amino acid sequences are disclosed herein as features of certain embodiments. Variants of these sequences that are at least about 70-85%, 85- 90%, or 90%-95% identical to the sequences disclosed herein can be used or referenced. Alternatively, a variant amino acid sequence can have at least 70%, 71 %, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 99.5% identity with a sequence disclosed herein. The variant amino acid sequence has the same function / activity of the disclosed sequence, or at least about 80%, 81 %, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% of the function / activity of the disclosed sequence.

[0046] The terms “ingestible product”, “ingestible composition” and the like refer to any substance that, either alone or together with another substance, may be taken orally (i.e. , by mouth), whether intended for consumption or not. Thus, an ingestible product includes food / beverage products. “Food / beverage products" refer to any edible product intended for consumption (e.g., for nutritional purposes) by humans or animals, including solids, semi-solids, or liquids. A “food” herein can optionally be referred to as a “foodstuff”, “food product”, or other like term, for example. “Non-edible products” (“nonedible compositions”) refer to any composition that can be taken by the mouth for purposes other than food or beverage consumption. Examples of non-edible products herein include supplements, nutraceuticals, functional food products, pharmaceutical products, oral care products (e.g., dentifrices, mouthwashes), and cosmetic products such as sweetened lip balms.

[0047] A “pharmaceutical product”, “medicine”, “medication”, “drug” or like term herein refers to a composition used to treat disease or injury, and can be administered enterally or parenterally.

[0048] The term “personal care product” and like terms typically refer to products, goods and services relating to the treatment, cleaning, cleansing, caring, or conditioning of a person. The foregoing include, for example, chemicals, compositions, products, or combinations thereof having application in such care.

[0049] The terms “percent by volume”, “volume percent”, “vol %”, “v / v %” and the like are used interchangeably herein. The percent by volume of a solute in a solution can be determined using the formula: [(volume of solute) / (volume of solution)] x 100%.

[0050] The terms “percent by weight”, “weight percentage (wt%)”, “weight-weight percentage (% w / w)” and the like are used interchangeably herein. Percent by weight refers to the percentage of a material on a mass basis as it is comprised in a composition, mixture, or solution.

[0051] The terms “weight / volume percent”, “w / v%” and the like are used interchangeably herein. Weight / volume percent can be calculated as: ((mass [g] of material) / (total volume [mL] of the material plus the liquid in which the material is placed)) x 100%. The material can be insoluble in the liquid (i.e., be a solid phase in a liquid phase, such as with a dispersion), or soluble in the liquid (i.e., be a solute dissolved in the liquid).

[0052] The term “isolated” means a substance (or process) in a form or environment that does not occur in nature. A non-limiting example of an isolated substance includes any composition / product disclosed herein. It is believed that the embodiments disclosed herein are synthetic / man-made (could not have been made or practiced except for human intervention / involvement), and / or have properties that are not naturally occurring.

[0053] The term “increased” as used herein can refer to a quantity or activity that is at least about 1 %, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 50%, 100%, or 200% more than the quantity or activity for which the increased quantity or activity is being compared. The terms “increased”, “elevated”, “enhanced”, “greater than”, “improved” and the like are used interchangeably herein.

[0054] Some aspects of the present disclosure regard a product (composition) comprising beta-1 , 3-glucan, wherein the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 , 3- glucan is 8 to 27 (e.g., 8 to 16), at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta- 1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages, and the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in non-aqueous conditions or low-aqueous conditions (“non / low aqueous conditions”) within the product. In some aspects, the entire product is non / low- aqueous, and / or the beta-1 , 3-glucan is comprised within a non / low-aqueous ingredient / portion of the product.

[0055] A product / composition of the present disclosure comprises beta-1 , 3-glucan. In some aspects, about, or at least about, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, or 100% of the constituent glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 linkages. In some aspects, accordingly, beta-1 , 3-glucan has about, or less than about, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0% glycosidic linkages that are not beta-1 ,3. It should be understood that the higher the percentage of beta-1 ,3 linkages present in beta-1 , 3-glucan, the greater the probability that the beta- 1 , 3-glucan is linear, since there are lower occurrences of certain linkages forming branch points in the polymer. Thus, beta-1 , 3-glucan with 100% beta-1 ,3 linkages is completely linear. In some aspects, beta-1 , 3-glucan has no branch points or less than about 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, or 1% branch points (typically beta-1 ,6) as a percent of the glycosidic linkages in the polymer. In some aspects, a given linkage profile characterizes that of the beta-1 , 3-glucan as synthesized from an acceptor (i.e., the linkage profile does not include the linkage profile of the acceptor). In aspects in which laminaribiose is used as the initial acceptor molecule, any of the foregoing linkage percentages can optionally characterize the entire product. Beta-1 ,3-glucan herein can have a DPw or DP of about 8 to 16 in some aspects. For example, the DPw or DP can be about 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 8-16, 8-14, 8- 13, 10-16, 10-14, 10-13, 11-16, 11-14, or 11-13, for example. In some additional or alternative aspects, beta-1 ,3-glucan can have a DPw or DP of about 8 to 27 (e.g., 10-27, 12-27, 10-24, 12-24).

[0056] Beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can have a polydispersity index (PDI) of less than about 1.2, for example. The PDI can be about, or less than about, 1.2, 1.15, 1.1 , 1 .05, 1 .05- 1.2, 1 .05-1 .15, 1 .05-1 .1 , 1.1 -1 .2, or 1.1 -1 .15 in some aspects. PDI can be measured, for example, according to U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2019 / 0185893, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0057] In some aspects, beta-1 , 3-glucan can be as produced in an enzymatic reaction comprising at least water, alpha-glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha-G1 P), an acceptor molecule (e.g., laminaribiose), and a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme that synthesizes beta-1 ,3-glucan. While not intending to be held to any particular theory, it is believed that such enzymatic production can be responsible for providing beta-1 , 3- glucan of the present disclosure having a high degree of crystallinity (e.g., a Cl disclosed herein for crystalline beta-1 ,3-glucan). Any of the beta-1 ,3-glucan phosphorylase reaction components / ingredients (enzyme, acceptor, alpha-G1 P, salt / buffer) and / or conditions (temperature, pH, component concentrations, reaction time) of the present disclosure can optionally be as disclosed in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2019 / 0322990, which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, the temperature of a beta-1 ,3- glucan phosphorylase reaction can be about 15-50, 15-45, 15-42, 15-40, 15-35, 20-50, 20-45, 20-42, 20-40, 20-35, 25-50, 25-45, 25-42, 25-40, 25-35, 30-50, 30-45, 30-42, 30- 40, or 30-35 °C. For example, the pH of a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction composition can be about 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 4.0-9.0, 4.0-8.5, 4.0- 8.0, 5.0-8.0, 6.0-8.0, 5.5-7.5, or 5.5-6.5. In some aspects, a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme for producing beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can comprise an amino acid sequence that is about 100% identical to, or at least about 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 98.5%, 99%, or 99.5% identical to, SEQ ID NO:2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12, each of which amino acid sequences are disclosed in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2019 / 0322990.

[0058] A suitable acceptor for a beta-1 ,3-glucan phosphorylase reaction herein can optionally be characterized as an “initial acceptor” since it typically is added when first preparing a reaction. In some aspects, an acceptor molecule comprises a monosaccharide, disaccharide, or oligosaccharide. Yet in some aspects, an acceptor consists of a monosaccharide, disaccharide, or oligosaccharide (e.g., the saccharide acceptor is not chemically derivatized / substituted). A disaccharide or oligosaccharide acceptor molecule typically comprises one or more glucose monomeric units (e.g., at least about 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95% of the monomeric units are glucose), or comprises only glucose monomeric units. A disaccharide or oligosaccharide can optionally comprise, typically in addition to one or more glucose monomeric units, one or more non-glucose monomeric units. A nonglucose monomeric unit of a disaccharide or oligosaccharide (or a non-glucose monosaccharide acceptor) can be fructose, for example, or can be selected from arabinose, xylose, or galactose. Still, in some aspects a monosaccharide acceptor can be p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucopyranoside or methyl beta-D-glucopyranoside. In some aspects, an acceptor is not (does not consist of) glucose, fructose, mannose, or glucosamine. An acceptor can be linear (no branches) or branched, for example.

[0059] A disaccharide or oligosaccharide acceptor herein for a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction can comprise beta-glycosidic linkages, for example. The linkages of an acceptor can be 100% beta-glycosidic linkages, or at least about 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95% beta-glycosidic linkages, for example. Beta- or alpha- glycosidic linkages between glucose monomers of a disaccharide or oligosaccharide acceptor can comprise one type of, or more than one type of, the following linkages: 1 ,1 ; 1 ,2; 1 ,3; 1 ,4; and / or 1 ,6. Just to illustrate, the linkages can be all beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages or all beta-1 ,6 glycosidic linkages, or a mix of beta-1 ,3 and beta-1 ,6 glycosidic linkages. An oligosaccharide acceptor can have, have at least, or have up to, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 monomeric units, for example. Particular examples of disaccharide and oligosaccharide acceptor molecules herein comprise, or consist of, laminaribiose, cellobiose, sophorose, laminaritriose, laminaritetraose, laminaripentaose, laminarihexaose, laminariheptaose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, cellopentaose, or gentiobiose. In some aspects, an acceptor molecule comprises, or consists of, laminaribiose or a DP3-8 laminarioligosaccharide such as laminaritriose, laminaritetraose, laminaripentaose, laminarihexaose, or laminariheptaose. In some aspects, an acceptor can be a p-nitrophenyl or methyl derivative of a disaccharide or oligosaccharide as disclosed herein.

[0060] The temperature of a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction herein can be controlled, if desired. In some aspects, the temperature is between about 5 °C to about 50 °C. The temperature in some aspects is between about 20 °C to about 42 °C. In still some aspects, the temperature is about 20, 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 , or 42 °C. The pH of a beta-1 ,3-glucan phosphorylase reaction composition in some aspects can be about 4.0-9.0, 4.0-8.5, 4.0- 8.0, 5.0-8.0, 6.0-8.0, 5.5-7.5, or 5.5-6.5. In some aspects, the pH can be about 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, or 8.0. The pH can be adjusted or controlled by the addition or incorporation of a suitable buffer, including but not limited to: phosphate (e.g., sodium phosphate buffer), tris (tris[hydroxymethyl] aminomethane; e.g., Tris-HCI), citrate, or a combination thereof. Buffer concentration in the enzymatic reaction can be from 0 mM to about 100 mM, or about 10, 25, 50, or 75 mM, for example. In some aspects, a buffer comprises, or consists of, tris; in this and some other aspects, a buffer optionally does not comprise phosphate.

[0061] The initial concentration of alpha-G1 P in a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction herein can be about, or at least about, 1 to 100 mM, for example. Also for example, the alpha-G1 P initial concentration can be about, or at least about, 1 , 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 mM, or about 10-50 mM. The initial concentration of an acceptor in a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase reaction herein can be about 1 to 50 mM, for example. In some aspects, the initial concentration of an acceptor can be about, or at least about, 1 , 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 mM, or about 1-10 or 5-10 mM. Still, in some aspects, the initial concentration of an acceptor can be about, or at least about, 0.05, 0.1 , 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10 g / L. “Initial concentration” of a substrate such as alpha-G1 P or acceptor refers to the substrate concentration in an enzymatic reaction just after all the reaction components have been added (at least water, alpha-G1 P, acceptor, beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase).

[0062] The amount of a beta-1 ,3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme (active enzyme) comprised in an enzymatic reaction in some aspects can be about 0.01-60 mg / mL. For example, about, or at least about, 0.01 , 0.05, 0.1 , 0.5, 1 , 5, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 mg / mL of enzyme can be employed in a reaction. A reaction herein can comprise one, two, or more beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzymes, for example. In some aspects, only one or two beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzymes is / are comprised in a reaction. A reaction composition herein can be, and typically is, cell-free (e.g., no whole cells present).

[0063] Completion of a reaction in some aspects can be determined visually (e.g., no more accumulation of insoluble product), and / or by measuring the remaining amount of substrate(s) (alpha-G1 P and / or acceptor) in the reaction (e.g., no more decrease in substrate levels over time). A reaction herein can be conducted for about, or at least about, 0.5, 1 , 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 96, 120, 144, or 168 hours, for example.

[0064] Beta-1 , 3-glucan herein typically does not have any chemical derivatization (e.g., etherification, esterification, phosphorylation, sulfation, oxidation, carbamation) (e.g., no substitution of hydrogens of glucan hydroxyl group[s] with a non-sugar chemical group). Typically, beta-1 , 3-glucan herein is enzymatically derived in an inert vessel (typically under cell-free conditions) (in vitro), and is not derived from a cell (e.g., plant, fungal, protist [e.g., algal], or bacterial cell) (e.g., not derived from a cell wall, such as from any of the foregoing cell types). An inert vessel in some aspects can be of stainless steel, plastic, or glass (or comprise two or more of these components) and be of a size suitable to contain a particular reaction. Some aspects are drawn to beta-1 , 3-glucan as produced by, or that are producible (obtainable) by, any of the enzymatic reaction processes / conditions disclosed herein.

[0065] Beta-1 , 3-glucan as presently disclosed typically is insoluble in non-aqueous conditions or low-aqueous conditions herein, and conversely is soluble in aqueous conditions. While non-aqueous conditions typically characterize a composition comprising no water, or no detectable amount of water, low-aqueous conditions typically characterize a composition comprising about, or less than about, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 , 0.5, or 0.1 wt% water. Non-aqueous and / or low-aqueous conditions herein, and / or a product comprising such conditions, can be at a temperature of about 0 to about 260 °C, for example. In some aspects, the temperature can be about room temperature (-20-25 °C), or about 0-5 °C, 0-10 °C, 0-15 °C, 0-20 °C, 0-25 °C, 5-10 °C, 5-15 °C, 5-20 °C, 5-25 °C, 0-50 °C, 80-100 °C (e.g., 90 °C, or cool oven temp.), 140-170 °C (e.g., 150-160 °C, or slow oven temp.), 170-200 °C (e.g., 180-190 °C, or moderate oven temp.), 190-240 °C (e.g., 200-230 °C, or hot oven temp.), 220-270 °C (e.g., 230-260 °C, or fast oven temp.), or 200-260 °C. Thus, in general, the temperature can be that of the product as it exists for human consumption, for example, or as it exists during a heat treatment step (e.g., baking) used to prepare the product. In some alternative or additional aspects, beta-1 , 3-glucan herein is dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in aqueous conditions within a composition / product. Generally, such aqueous conditions can characterize a composition comprising about, or at least about, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, IQ- 60, 10-50, 10-40, 10-30, 10-20, 20-60, 20-50, 20-40, 30-60, 30-50, or 30-40 wt% water; typically, the temperature of a composition with such aqueous conditions is about, or less than about, 35 °C, 30 °C, 25 °C, 20 °C, 15 °C, 10 °C, 5 °C, 0 °C, 0-10 °C, 0-15 °C, 0-20 °C, 0-25 °C, 0-30 °C, 5-10 °C, 5-15 °C, 5-20 °C, 5-25 °C, 5-30, 15-30, 15-25, 20- 30, or 20-25 °C, which is a temperature at which a beta-1 ,3-glucan herein remains dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in the aqueous conditions of such product (generally depending on the molecular weight of the beta-1 , 3-glucan - a higher molecular weight herein generally is associated with a higher temperature at which the beta-1 , 3-glucan can remain dispersed / undissolved in aqueous conditions).

[0066] Beta-1 ,3-glucan can be crystalline in some aspects. Beta-1 ,3-glucan can exist in a crystalline form (e.g., as dispersed particles) in non / low-aqueous conditions herein (i.e., in its insoluble state), for example. The crystallinity of beta-1 , 3-glucan can optionally be characterized in terms of degree of crystallinity (or crystallinity index [Cl]). For example, the degree of crystallinity of beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can be about, or at least about, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 0.96, 0.97, 0.98, 0.99, 1.0, 0.9-1.0, 0.9-0.99, 0.9-0.98, 0.95-1.0, 0.95-0.99, or 0.95-0.98. In general, that portion (if any) of insoluble beta-1 , 3-glucan herein that is not crystalline is amorphous. The degree of crystallinity of beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can be as when measured according to any suitable method.

[0067] Beta-1 , 3-glucan can be amorphous (non-crystalline) in some aspects. Beta-1 , 3- glucan can exist in an amorphous form in non / low-aqueous conditions herein (i.e., in its insoluble state), for example. The degree of crystallinity of amorphous beta-1 ,3-glucan can be about, or less than about, 0.25, 0.2, 0.15, 0.10, 0.05, 0.01 , or 0.0, for example. In some aspects, amorphous beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can be produced by rapidly cooling a beta-1 , 3-glucan that is above its melting point temperature. Rapid cooling is that cooling (rate of decreasing temperature) that is performed fast enough to create solid beta-1 , 3-glucan that is not crystalline.

[0068] In some aspects, beta-1 , 3-glucan can be dispersed in non-aqueous or low- aqueous conditions of the present disclosure (i.e., the beta-1 , 3-glucan can be in a dispersion). Such a dispersion of beta-1 , 3-glucan can optionally be stable. Yet, in some aspects, beta-1 , 3-glucan can be in another undissolved form as mixed in non-aqueous or low-aqueous conditions; i.e., the beta-1 , 3-glucan does not necessarily have to be dispersed, or stably dispersed. In some aspects, insoluble particles of beta-1 ,3-glucan are dispersed through about, or at least about, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99%, or 100% of the volume of non / low-aqueous conditions herein. Such a level of dispersion is contemplated to be for a time (typically beginning from initial preparation of the dispersion) of about, at least about, or up to about, 0.5, 1 , 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, or 360 days, or 1 , 2, or 3 years, for example. In some aspects, non / low-aqueous conditions can be characterized as constituting a stable emulsion; any of the above dispersal-volume percentages and / or times of such stability can likewise characterize dispersed / emulsified liquid droplets (e.g., liquid droplets).

[0069] Non / low-aqueous conditions in some aspects can have a viscosity of about, at least about, or less than about, 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, 10000, 15000, 20000, 25000, 10-300, 25- 300, 50-300, 10-250, 25-250, 50-250, 10-200, 25-200, 50-200, 10-150, 25-150, 50-150, 10-100, 25-100, or 50-100 centipoise (cps, cP), for example. Viscosity can be as measured at any temperature disclosed herein, for example (e.g., 4-30 °C, 15-30 °C, 15- 25 °C). Viscosity typically is as measured at atmospheric pressure (about 760 torr) or a pressure that is ±10% thereof. Viscosity can be measured using a viscometer or rheometer, for example, and can optionally be as measured at a shear rate (rotational shear rate) of about 0.1 , 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 3, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 0.1-500, 0.1-100, 1.0- 500, 1.0-1000, or 1.0-100 S’1(1 / s), or about 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 250 rpm (revolutions per minute), for example.

[0070] The non-aqueous or low-aqueous conditions of a product herein can comprise about, at least about, or less than about, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,

[0071] 19, 20, 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 ,

[0072] 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 , 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 , 62, 63, 64, 65,

[0073] 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 , 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, or 80 wt% beta-1 ,3-glucan, for example, or a range between any two of these values (e.g., 15-30, 20-70, 40-70, 50-80, 50-70, 60-80, or 60-70 wt%). Typically all of (100 wt%), or at least about 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.5, or 99.9 wt% of, the beta-1 , 3-glucan in non-aqueous or low-aqueous conditions is insoluble therein. Regardless of the form (e.g., crystalline and / or amorphous, and / or otherwise undissolved) that the insoluble beta-1 , 3-glucan solids are in the non-low- aqueous conditions, the beta-1 , 3-glucan solids typically provide structure thereto. Such structure can, in some aspects that regard ingestible products, be detectable (sensed) by a human or other mammal when introducing a product comprising the beta-1 , 3- glucan in non-low-aqueous conditions to the oral cavity (e.g., during eating or other form of ingestion). For example, such structure can be detected by virtue of the mouthfeel, crispiness, crunchiness, texture, and / or body of the product, and / or by the dissolution (“melting”) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan that occurs as it transitions from a non / low-aqueous environment (of the initial product) to the aqueous environment of the oral cavity (typically by virtue of the presence of saliva and optionally other aqueous liquid, further typically by virtue of agitating [e.g., masticating, swishing, swirling, and / or sucking] and / or swallowing the ingested product).

[0074] The balance of non-aqueous or low-aqueous conditions of a product herein (i.e. , aside from the beta-1 , 3-glucan ingredient), can be one or more non-water or low-water ingredients. A “low-water” ingredient, though having some amount of water, when used accordingly in preparing a product, does not introduce an amount of water that would remove low-aqueous conditions herein from the final composition. An example of a nonwater ingredient is a hydrophobic ingredient / additive such as an oil or fat, or any other suitable lipid type. A hydrophobic ingredient herein can be a liquid (in the form of a liquid), for example, or in any other form such as a malleable form (e.g., fat). Examples of hydrophobic ingredients herein include oil such as mineral oil, silicone oil (e.g., dimethicone / polydimethylsiloxane, hexamethyldisiloxane), paraffin oil, or a plant / vegetable oil (e.g., linseed oil, soybean oil, palm fat / oil, coconut oil, canola oil, com oil, sunflower oil, grape seed oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, rice bran oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil) (an oil or fat can be edible, for example); shortening (e.g., vegetable shortening); lipid; fat (e.g., lard, tallow, animal fat); glyceride (e.g., tri-, di- and / or mono-glyceride; e.g., caprylic / capric triglyceride); glycerol (glycerin) (or other polyol such as low molecular weight polyol); fatty acid; fatty aldehyde, fatty alcohol, fatty acid ester (e.g., sorbitan oleate); fatty acid amide; wax (e.g., paraffin wax, carnauba wax); phospholipid; sterol; alkane; alkene / olefin; petrolatum (i.e., petroleum jelly); or grease. A hydrophobic ingredient can either be edible or non-edible.

[0075] Typically, one or more additional non-water or low-water ingredients / additives (“non / low-water ingredients”) can be present in non-aqueous or low-aqueous conditions of a product herein. In some aspects, it would be understood that ingredients that, in some form, are at least relatively rich in water (e.g., fruits / vegetables, dairy products such as milk), can be provided herein in a low-water form (e.g., dehydrated form; e.g., any form having less than 20, 15, 10, or 5 wt% water). In some aspects, a non / low- water ingredient can be concentrated and / or dried (e.g., to a powder). Examples of non / low-water ingredients can be any as disclosed herein, such as one or more of a sugar (e.g., sucrose, glucose, fructose), salt, organic solvent (e.g., polar organic solvent), enzyme, surfactant, preservative, ingestible product (e.g., food product) ingredient, personal care product ingredient, or pharmaceutical product ingredient. Additional examples of non / low-water ingredients include those that are suitable for a food product or food precursor (i.e., edible non / low-water ingredients). For instance, an edible non / low-water ingredient can comprise a vegetable component (e.g., vegetable oil, vegetable protein, vegetable carbohydrates), enzyme, fat, oil, flavoring agent, coloring agent, aroma / scent agent, salt, sweetener, acid (e.g., acetic acid, citric acid), vinegar, fruit / vegetable (e.g., orange, apple, mango, peach, plum, banana, date, apricot, grapefruit, papaya, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, pear, tangerine, cherry, grape, melon, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon, lime, carrot, tomato, coconut, legumes such as beans [e.g., soybeans, mung beans] or peas), nuts / seeds (e.g., almonds, cashews, macadamias, hemp seed, quinoa, flax seed), grains / cereal (e.g., oats, rice), juice extract, dried juice powder, or any other non / low-water component suitable for use as an ingredient in a food product / precursor. Such one or more additional non / low-water ingredients can be as disclosed in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. 2016 / 0122445 or 2017 / 0218093 (both incorporated herein by reference), for example, and / or can be natural or artificial. Examples of non / low-water ingredients suitable as sweeteners (or for any other purpose such as flavoring) include acesulfame potassium, advantame, alitame, aspartame, barley malt extract, birch extract, brazzein, brown rice extract, caramel, coconut palm sugar, com extract, curculin, cyclamate, dextrose, erythritol, fructo-oligosaccharide, fructose (levulose), galactose, glucose (dextrose), glycerol (glycerin), glycyrrhizin, high fructose com extract (e.g., HFCS-42, -55, -90), high maltose com extract (HMCS), honey, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate (HSH), isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), inulin, inverted sugar, isomalt, lactitol, lactose, maltitol, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, maple extract, miraculin, molasses / extract (e.g., blackstrap molasses / extract), monatin, monellin, monk fruit extract, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, neotame, palm sugar, pentadin, polydextrose, rapadura, saccharin, sorbitol (glucitol), sorghum extract, stevia / steviol glycoside (e.g., a rebaudioside such as rebaudioside A, rebaudioside D, or rebaudioside M), sucralose, sugar alcohol, tagatose, thaumatin, trehalose, xylitol, and yacon extract. In some aspects, a non / low-water ingredient is a dairy / dairy-based ingredient such as, or derived from, milk (e.g., cow or goat milk) (e.g., ~3% milk fat, ~2% milk fat, ~1% milk fat, or fat- free [non-fat]), sweetened milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, dried milk powder, whey protein, casein, or milk fat.

[0076] A product / composition herein can be entirely of (consist of) non / low-aqueous conditions herein (e.g., a non / low-aqueous cream), or can comprise non / low-aqueous conditions as an ingredient and / or portion of the product (e.g., non / low-aqueous filling, such as a cream in a pastry or cookie). A product in some aspects is a food product or other ingestible product (i.e. , can be taken orally) (e.g., pharmaceutical product [e.g., for oral administration], nutritional product), or is a personal care product or pharmaceutical product (e.g., for administration to the skin or a human orifice). A product herein can have a solid consistency (e.g., large solid, or small solid such as powder), or a gel / cream consistency, for example. Typically, if a product herein comprises non / low-aqueous conditions as an ingredient and / or portion of a product, the non / low-aqueous conditions remain separate from any aqueous conditions / ingredients (if present) in the product that might otherwise eliminate or reduce the non / low-aqueous conditions. However, in some additional or alternative aspects herein, beta-1 , 3-glucan of the disclosure can be in aqueous conditions in the product that are sufficient under some conditions (e.g., an elevated temperature) to dissolve the beta-1 , 3-glucan therein.

[0077] A food product herein can comprise, or be in the form of, a confectionary, for instance. Examples of confectioneries herein include boiled sugars (hard boiled candies [i.e., hard candy]), dragees, jelly candies, gummies, gums, licorice, chews, caramels, toffee, fondant, fudge, chewing gums, bubble gums, nougat, fibrous candy (e.g., cotton candy), chewy pastes, halawa, tablets, lozenges, fillings, creams (e.g., fat cream), icings, glazes, frosting, whipped topping, pudding, gels (e.g., fruit gels, gelatin dessert), aerated confectioneries, marshmallows, baked confectioneries. Examples of confectionaries herein include dairy confections such as chocolate (e.g., milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate) (e.g., a precursor / ingredient such as chocolate crumb), caramel, and toffee. A confectionary can be a candy (e.g., hard, soft, or chewy), chocolate (e.g., milk, dark, or white), candied fruit, candied nut, chewing gum, frozen dessert, or bar (e.g. candy bar), for example. In some aspects, a confectionary can be a crystalline confectionary or an amorphous (non-crystalline) confectionary, some examples of each of which confectionary types are listed in the foregoing.

[0078] In some aspects, chocolate herein can be formulated and / or produced incorporating beta-1 , 3-glucan and / or processing as presently disclosed, as appropriate, according to any of U.S. Patent Nos. 4081568, 4084011 , 5591474, 5882709, 5932277, 6635303, 8906442, or 9775367, or U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. 2007 / 0082116, 2008 / 0268133, or 2017 / 0215452, or Int. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. W02005 / 016020 or EP0401427B, which are all incorporated herein by reference.

[0079] In some aspects, a food product can comprise, or be in the form of, a baked product (bakery product), or extruded product, such as any of those disclosed in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. 2017 / 0218093 or 2022 / 0322685, which are incorporated herein by reference. Examples of baked products include bread (leavened or unleavened), cake (e.g., carrot cake, red velvet, angle food, pound cake, chocolate, white, black forest, tiramisu, coffee cake, cheesecake, devil’s food, upside-down cake, Boston cream pie, Swiss roll, lemon cake, short cake, chiffon cake, butter cake, spice cake, rum cake, sponge cake, marble cake, coconut cake, pandan cake), muffins, brownies, biscuits, scones, cookies (e.g., sugar cookies, sugar snap cookies), bars, custards, pies, crackers, pretzels, pastries, pudding and tarts. Examples of an extruded product include pasta, cereal (e.g., direct expanded cereal, filled cereal, flakes, breakfast cereal, sweetened cereal), some bread products (e.g., croutons, bread sticks, flat breads), cookie-dough (e.g., pre-made), pet food (e.g., dry food such as kibbles), and snacks (e.g., cheese curls, filled pillow puffs, chips [e.g., com chips, pita chips, processed potato chips, tortilla chips], snack sticks [e.g., vegetable sticks], puffed shaped products such as curls [e.g., cheese curls], balls, tubes, bananas, cups, bowls, disks, baby food puffs). Pasta herein can be extruded (e.g., see above) and / or flattened / rolled, for example.

[0080] In some aspects, a food product can comprise, or be in the form of, a cream (e.g., a fat cream), cheese, sauce, gravy, dressing, batter (e.g., batter for, or on, fried food; batter for pancakes / waffles), food coating, snack or nutrition bar, human health or nutrition product, pet food, animal health or nutrition product, butter (e.g., a nut butter such as peanut butter, almond butter, or hazelnut butter; cocoa / chocolate butter), fruit butter (e.g., apple butter), prepared food, baby food, dried fruit, dessert product, spice mixes, stuffing, or breading.

[0081] In some aspects, a food product can comprise, or be in the form of, a frozen dessert / confection such as a frozen dairy dessert or frozen non-dairy dessert. Examples herein include ice cream, frozen whipped cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or gelato. Ice cream can be hard ice cream or soft (soft-serve) ice cream, for example. Typically, a frozen dessert herein is an example of a food composition that, in at least one of its forms (deep frozen), does not comprise liquid water, but rather water in solid or otherwise non-liquid form. In some aspects, a frozen dessert or frozen confection herein can be formulated and / or produced incorporating beta-1 , 3-glucan and / or processing as presently disclosed, as appropriate, according to any of U.S. Patent Nos. 2036706, 2355915, 3623890, or 5728419, or U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. 2007 / 0196538, 2009 / 0304904, 2018 / 0177212, or 20030056662, which are all incorporated herein by reference.

[0082] Beta-1 , 3-glucan in some aspects can be in replacement of sucrose in a product or in a non / low-aqueous ingredient / portion of the product. For example, all off, or some of (e.g., about, or at least about, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 wt% of) the sucrose that typically would have been used in the product (or portion thereof) can be replaced with beta-1 ,3-glucan. The replacement of sucrose by beta-1 ,3-glucan herein typically is for providing the bulking (e.g., crystalline bulking) that the sucrose would have provided to the product (or portion thereof).

[0083] Beta-1 ,3-glucan in some aspects can provide a sensory benefit to a food product and / or portion of a food product. An example of a sensory benefit includes an oral sensory benefit such as mouthfeel, crispness / crispiness, crunchiness, texture, and / or body of the product. Visual and / or audible aspects are some additional or other sensory benefits that can be provided by beta-1 , 3-glucan herein, such as texture, body, crispness / crispiness (e.g., sound emitted when product is fractured), and / or crunchiness (e.g., sound emitted when product is compressed / crunched).

[0084] A pharmaceutical product herein can comprise, or be in the form of, a dispersion (e.g., suspension or colloid), emulsion, gel, cream, serum, or ointment, for example. A pharmaceutical product can comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, diluents, and / or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, for example. In some aspects, pharmaceutical product can comprise, or be in the form of, a capsule, encapsulant, tablet, tablet coating, or excipient for medicaments / drugs. Any other ingestible product (e.g., food product), and / or product that can otherwise be introduced orally or parenterally, can be in one of the foregoing pharmaceutical product forms, for example.

[0085] A product in some aspects herein can be a personal care product. For example, a personal care product herein can be as described in any of U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. Nos. 2018 / 0022834, 2018 / 0237816, 2018 / 0230241 , 20180079832, 2016 / 0311935, 2016 / 0304629, 2015 / 0232785, 2015 / 0368594, 2015 / 0368595, 2016 / 0122445, 2019 / 0202942, or 2019 / 0309096, or Int. Patent Appl. Publ. No. WO2016 / 133734, which are all incorporated herein by reference. In some aspects, a personal care product can comprise at least one component / ingredient of a personal care product as disclosed in any of the foregoing publications and / or as presently disclosed.

[0086] Personal care products herein are not particularly limited and include, for example, skin care compositions, cosmetic compositions, antifungal compositions, and antibacterial compositions. Personal care products herein may be in the form of, for example, lotions, creams, foams, pastes, balms, ointments, pomades, gels, liquids, serums, combinations of these, and the like. The personal care products disclosed herein can include at least one active ingredient, if desired. An active ingredient is generally recognized as an ingredient that causes an intended pharmacological effect.

[0087] A personal care product in some aspects can be a skin care product. A skin care product can be used on, and / or be designed for, general body application or targeted application (e.g., to hands or feet), for example. A skin care product in some aspects can be used on hair and / or nails (or exclusively for nails) in some aspects. In some aspects, a skin care product can be applied to skin for addressing skin damage related to a lack of moisture. A skin care product may also be used to address the visual appearance of skin (e.g., reduce the appearance of flaky, cracked, and / or red skin) and / or the tactile feel of the skin (e.g., reduce roughness and / or dryness of the skin while improved the softness and subtleness of the skin). A skin care product typically may include at least one active ingredient for the treatment or prevention of skin ailments, providing a cosmetic effect, or for providing a moisturizing benefit to skin, such as zinc oxide, petrolatum, white petrolatum, mineral oil, cod liver oil, lanolin, dimethicone, hard fat, vitamin A, allantoin, calamine, kaolin, glycerin, or colloidal oatmeal, and combinations of these. A skin care product may include one or more natural moisturizing factors such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, amino acids, cholesterol, fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, glycosphingolipids, urea, linoleic acid, glycosaminoglycans, mucopolysaccharide, sodium lactate, or sodium pyrrolidone carboxylate, for example. Other ingredients that may be included in a skin care product include, without limitation, glycerides, apricot kernel oil, canola oil, squalane, squalene, coconut oil, com oil, jojoba oil, jojoba wax, lecithin, olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, shea butter, soybean oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil, tea tree oil, shea butter, palm oil, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, wax esters, fatty acids, and orange oil. A skin care product can be an ointment, lotion, or sanitizer (e.g., hand sanitizer) in some aspects. A skin care product / formulation that can be adapted to be a composition herein can be as disclosed in, for example, US20100189669, US20200093799, US20080014162, US20050002889, US20020039565, US20080213323, US20040022822, US20070166249, US20080152606, US20080008668, US20140256830, US20030206932, US20030114323, US20110152335, US20150202139, US20040180026, US4595586, US4268526, US4272519, US4285967, US4368189, US4372944, US4699780, US4816271 , US4839164, US4464362, US5552135, US5693255, US5976555, US5607921 , US5618523, US5798108, US5356627, US5811083, US5939085, US6280714, US8465973, US9867774, US11110049, US10546658, US11033480, EP0321929, or WO201 3092872, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. A skin care product can comprise one or more ingredients / additives as disclosed in any of the foregoing references, for example.

[0088] A personal care product herein can also be in the form of makeup, lipstick, mascara, rouge, foundation, blush, eyeliner, lip liner, lip gloss, other cosmetics, sunscreen, sun block, nail polish, nail conditioner, bath gel, shower gel, body wash, face wash, lip balm, skin conditioner, cream, foam, cold cream, moisturizer, body spray, soap, body scrub, exfoliant, astringent, scruffing lotion, depilatory, permanent waving solution, antidandruff formulation, antiperspirant composition, deodorant, shaving product, preshaving product, after-shaving product, cleanser, skin gel, serum (skin serum), rinse, dentifrice composition, toothpaste, or mouthwash, for example. An example of a personal care product (e.g., a cleanser, soap, scrub, cosmetic) comprises a carrier or exfoliation agent (e.g., jojoba beads [jojoba ester beads]) (e.g., about 1-10, 3-7, 4-6, or 5 wt%); such an agent may optionally be dispersed within the product.

[0089] A personal care product in some aspects can be a hair care product. Examples of hair care products herein include shampoo, hair conditioner (leave-in or rinse-out), cream rinse, hair dye, hair coloring product, hair shine product, hair serum, hair anti-frizz product, hair split-end repair product, mousse, hair spray, and styling gel. A hair care product can be in the form of a liquid, lotion, paste, gel, cream, foam, mousse, pomade, lacquer, hair wax, solid, or powder in some embodiments. A hair care product as presently disclosed typically comprises one or more of the following ingredients, which are generally used to formulate hair care products: anionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylenelauryl ether sodium sulfate; cationic surfactants such as stearyltrimethylammonium chloride and / or distearyltrimethylammonium chloride; nonionic surfactants such as glyceryl monostearate, sorbitan monopalmitate and / or polyoxyethylenecetyl ether; wetting agents such as propylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, glycerin, sorbitol, pyroglutamic acid salts, amino acids and / or trimethylglycine; hydrocarbons such as liquid paraffins, petrolatum, solid paraffins, squalane and / or olefin oligomers; higher alcohols such as stearyl alcohol and / or cetyl alcohol; superfatting agents; antidandruff agents; disinfectants; anti-inflammatory agents; crude drugs; water- soluble polymers such as methyl cellulose, hydroxycellulose and / or partially deacetylated chitin; antiseptics such as paraben; ultra-violet light absorbers; pearling agents; pH adjustors; perfumes; and pigments.

[0090] Some aspects of the present disclosure regard a method / process comprising: (a) introducing a food product (or any other ingestible product comprising beta- 1 ,3-glucan herein) as disclosed herein to the oral cavity (mouth) of a human, and

[0091] (b) optionally agitating the product in the oral cavity, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is entered into aqueous conditions in the oral cavity. Typically, introduction of the product to the oral cavity is self-performed. Optionally, the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides a sensory benefit to the human upon introduction of the food product to the oral cavity. Such a method can optionally be characterized herein as an ingestion method or eating method.

[0092] Typically, the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolves in the aqueous conditions of the oral cavity into which the glucan is entered / mixed. The aqueous conditions generally comprise saliva and / or aqueous liquid. An aqueous liquid can be water or a beverage that has also been introduced to the oral cavity, such as a soft drink, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverage (e.g., beer), or any other beverage type that can be taken during eating / ingestion. Typically / optionally, the product can be mixed into the aqueous conditions in the oral cavity through any suitable agitation of the product by the mouth, such as masticating, swishing, swirling, and / or sucking. Such agitation can enhance exposure and dissolution of the beta-1 , 3-glucan, which was in an undissolved state (in the product in otherwise non / low-aqueous conditions) prior to oral cavity introduction, in the aqueous conditions of the oral cavity. Typically, the temperature of the aqueous conditions is at about body temperature (e.g., ~37 °C for a human) or about 30-40, 30- 50, 30-60, 30-65, or 35-40 °C (e.g., possibly due to intake of a cold, warm, or hot beverage), and / or the pH of the aqueous conditions is about 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 4.0-5.0, 4.0-6.0, 4.0-7.0, 4.0-8.0, 5.0-6.0, 5.0-7.0, 5.0-8.0, 6.0- 7.0, 6.0-8.0, 6.5-7.5, or 7.0-8.0 (e.g., possibly due to intake of a neutral or acidic beverage).

[0093] Optionally, the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides a sensory benefit to the human, such as improved mouthfeel, crispness / crispiness, crunchiness, texture, and / or body. Such a sensory benefit typically is realized and / or enhanced upon agitation of the product in the oral cavity. Another sensory benefit can be realized from the dissolution (“melting”) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan that occurs as it transitions from a non / low-aqueous environment (of the product as it existed before introduction) to the aqueous environment of the oral cavity. In some aspects, such a sensory benefit provided by beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolution can mimic the sensation that fat and / or oil provides when introduced to the oral cavity; thus, beta-1 , 3-glucan herein can optionally be used as a fat or oil replacement in a food or any other ingestible material. An improvement of any of the foregoing benefits can be, for example, by at least about 10%, 25%, 50%, or 100% as compared to when using a control product that is the same as the product, except for not having the beta-1 ,3- glucan.

[0094] Although a product in an ingestion method herein is introduced into a human oral cavity, the oral cavity in some alternative aspects can be that of another mammal such as a pet (e.g., dog, cat), primate, or farm animal (e.g., pig, cow, horse, goat, sheep).

[0095] Typically, an ingestion method herein further comprises swallowing the product, which usually has been agitated in the oral cavity. By virtue of this swallowing, thereby furthering along the product in the alimentary canal for digestion, the beta-1 , 3-glucan is contemplated to provide one or more nutritional / dietary benefits to the human / mammal. Examples of such benefits include dietary fiber, prebiotic activity, calorie reduction, reduced blood sugar, and / or satiety. Calorie reduction and / or reduced blood sugar can be accomplished by virtue of replacing some or all sucrose in the product with the beta- 1 , 3-glucan, for example. Typically, one or more nutritional / dietary benefits is as compared to when ingesting a control product that is the same as the product, except for (i) not having the beta-1 , 3-glucan and / or (ii) having at least some amount of sucrose or other sugar in place of the beta-1 , 3-glucan. Such a nutritional / dietary benefit(s) can be improved by at least about 10%, 25%, 50%, or 100% as compared to when using the control product.

[0096] Some aspects of the present disclosure regard a method / process comprising: applying a product as disclosed herein such as a personal care product and / or pharmaceutical product to the skin or body orifice of a human. Such a method can optionally be characterized as a topical method and / or parenteral method, for example, as appropriate.

[0097] In some aspects, a product used in a topical or parenteral method can provide a sensory benefit to a human to which the product is / was applied. It is contemplated that such a sensory benefit (e.g., a cooling sensation I cooling effect, change in thickness) can be provided, for example, when the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolves in aqueous conditions (i) that occur in or on the skin or body orifice (e.g., from sweat or other bodily fluid such as serous drainage [e.g., serosanguinous fluid]), and / or (ii) that are otherwise introduced to the skin or body orifice. Aqueous conditions of the latter type ([ii]) can be, for example, those co-delivered in or with the product itself (e.g., aqueous medium directly in the product, or aqueous medium as a separate composition typically delivered contemporaneously with the beta-1 , 3-glucan-comprising product), or from other origins (e.g., separate aqueous liquid application such as via self application or via environmental application such as humidity or weather precipitation). Beta-1 ,3-glucan dissolution in a topical or parenteral method herein can occur, for example, in aqueous conditions at a temperature of about body temperature (e.g., ~37 °C), febrile temperature, or about 30-40, 30-50, 30-60, 30-65, or 35-40 °C, for example, and / or in aqueous conditions having a pH of about 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 4.0-5.0, 4.0-6.0, 4.0-7.0, 4.0-8.0, 5.0-6.0, 5.0-7.0, 5.0-8.0, 6.0-7.0, 6.0-8.0, 6.5- 7.5, or 7.0-8.0. A body orifice in some aspects is that of the oral cavity, nasal cavity, aural cavity, rectal cavity, or genitourinary tract (female) of a human. In some aspects, a product used in a topical or parenteral method can comprise about, or up to about, 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 1-20, 1-10, 1-8, 1-5, 1-3, 2- 20, 2-10, 2-8, 2-5, 2-3, 4-20, 4-10, 4-8, 4-5, 8-20, or 8-10 wt% of beta-1 , 3-glucan herein.

[0098] Some aspects of the present disclosure regard a method / process of producing a dispersion (or a mixture of undissolved material in a medium). Such a method can comprise: mixing at least beta-1 ,3-glucan and a non-aqueous medium or a low-aqueous medium to disperse the beta-1 ,3-glucan in the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium (or to otherwise mix the beta-1 ,3-glucan in the non-aqueous medium or the low- aqueous medium, such that the beta-1 , 3-glucan remains undissolved), thereby providing a dispersion (or a mixture). The beta-1 , 3-glucan and non / low-aqueous conditions used in this method can be as presently disclosed. For example, the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 ,3-glucan can be 8 to 16, or 8 to 27, and at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 ,3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages. Such a method can optionally be characterized herein as a dispersion / mixing method. A dispersion or mixture produced in a dispersion / mixing method can have any feature as presently disclosed of non / low-aqueous conditions herein (e.g., beta-1 , 3-glucan content and / or form [e.g., crystalline or non-crystalline], non / low-aqueous ingredient content, other ingredients / additives, temperature, stability, viscosity). A dispersion or mixture produced in a dispersion / mixing method can be used as non / low-aqueous conditions in a food or other ingestible product of the present disclosure, for example.

[0099] In some aspects of a dispersion / mixing method, mixing can comprise melting the non / low-aqueous medium. For example, melting could be performed if the non / low- aqueous medium is solid at room temperature. Melting typically is performed by increasing the temperature of the non / low-aqueous medium, accordingly. In some aspects, the mixing / melting can be performed by: (i) adding the beta-1 , 3-glucan and the non / low-aqueous medium into a vessel, and then heating the vessel to melt the non / low-aqueous medium, wherein the mixing is performed after melting the non / low-aqueous medium, and / or the mixing is performed during (concomitantly with) the melting of the non / low-aqueous medium (optionally, an additional amount of one or both of these ingredients can be further added during the mixing), or

[0100] (ii) adding the beta-1 , 3-glucan and the non / low-aqueous medium into a vessel, wherein the non / low-aqueous medium has been melted before adding it to the vessel (mixing can be performed during and / or after adding these ingredients).

[0101] Typically, regardless of how the mixing / melting is performed (e.g., [i] or [ii]), the beta-1 , 3- glucan remains dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in the non / low-aqueous medium during the entire mixing / melting process. In some aspects, melting comprises increasing the temperature of the non / low-aqueous medium to about, or up to about, 75 °C (e.g., 30-70, 35-70, 40-70, 30-60, 35-60, 40-60, 30-50, 35-50, or 40-50 °C). Yet, in some aspects, melting comprises increasing the temperature of the non / low-aqueous medium to about, or up to about, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 80-100, 90-100, 95-100, 95-105, or 100-105 °C (e.g., such an elevated temperature can be used to evaporate water out of a low-aqueous medium). Following the mixing / melting process, a dispersion or other resulting mixture can be cooled to about room temperature, or to a temperature that is below the melting temperature of the non / low-aqueous medium; doing so may be useful for storage and handling purposes, for example.

[0102] In some alternative or additional aspects of a dispersion / mixing method, beta-1 , 3- glucan herein is instead mixed in an aqueous medium. Generally, such an aqueous medium can comprise about, or at least about, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 10-60, 10-50, 10-40, 10-30, 10-20, 20-60, 20-50, 20-40, 30-60, 30-50, or 30-40 wt% water. Typically, the temperature of this aqueous medium is about, or less than about, 35 °C, 30 °C, 25 °C, 20 °C, 15 °C, 10 °C, 5 °C, 0 °C, 0-10 °C, 0-15 °C, 0-20 °C, 0-25 °C, 0-30 °C, 5-10 °C, 5-15 °C, 5-20 °C, 5-25 °C, 5-30, 15-30, 15-25, 20-30, or 20-25 °C, which is a temperature at which a beta-1 , 3-glucan herein remains dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in the aqueous medium (generally depending on the molecular weight of the beta-1 , 3-glucan - a higher molecular weight herein generally is associated with a higher temperature at which the beta-1 , 3-glucan can remain dispersed / undissolved in aqueous conditions). A dispersion / mixture produced in such a manner can be used in a food product or any other ingestible product, and / or in a food precursor (e.g., one that will be further processed to be a food product [e.g., bread dough, which can be baked to bread).

[0103] In some aspects, a dispersion / mixing method can be performed as disclosed in the below Examples, but with conditions / parameters (e.g., temperatures, mixing speeds, time periods, and / or concentrations) that are within 5%, 10%, 15%, and / or 20% of the disclosed conditions / parameters.

[0104] Non-limiting examples of compositions and methods disclosed herein include:

[0105] 1. A product (composition) comprising beta-1 ,3-glucan, wherein the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 27, wherein at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages, and wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in non-aqueous conditions or low-aqueous conditions (e.g., < 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 , 0.5, or 0.1 wt% water) within the product (e.g., the entire product is non-aqueous or low-aqueous, and / or the beta-1 , 3-glucan is comprised within a non-aqueous or low-aqueous ingredient / portion of the product).

[0106] 2. The product of embodiment 1 , wherein about 100% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

[0107] 3. The product of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the DP of the beta-1 ,3-glucan is 8 to 16 (e.g., 10-14, 10-13, 11-14, or 11-13).

[0108] 4. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, or 3, wherein the DP of the beta-1 ,3-glucan is 12.

[0109] 5. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, or 4, wherein the polydispersity index of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is less than about 1.2 (e.g., about, or less than about, 1.2, 1.15, 1.1 , or 1.05).

[0110] 6. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the beta-1 ,3-glucan was produced in an enzymatic reaction comprising at least water, alpha-glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha-G1 P), an acceptor molecule (e.g., laminaribiose), and a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme that synthesizes beta-1 , 3-glucan.

[0111] 7. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the beta-1 ,3-glucan is in crystalline form (e.g., having a Cl of at least about 0.55).

[0112] 8. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the beta-1 ,3-glucan is in amorphous form (e.g., having a Cl of less than about 0.25). 9. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8, wherein the non-aqueous conditions or the low-aqueous conditions comprise one or more oils and / or fats (i.e. , lipids).

[0113] 10. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, wherein the temperature of the product is 0 to 260 °C (e.g., room temperature, or about 0-5, 0-10, 0-15, 0-20, 5-10, 5-15, 5-20, 0-50, 140-200, or 200-260 °C).

[0114] 11. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, wherein the beta-1 , 3- glucan is dispersed in the non-aqueous conditions or the low-aqueous conditions, and optionally wherein this dispersion is a stable dispersion.

[0115] 12. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 , wherein the product is an ingestible product or can otherwise be introduced to the oral cavity of a human (e.g., where the product will be subjected to aqueous conditions in which the beta-1 ,3- glucan will dissolve).

[0116] 13. The product of embodiment 12, wherein the product is a food product.

[0117] 13a. The product of embodiment 13, wherein the food product is a cocoa-based food product such as a cocoa solids-containing chocolate (e.g., milk chocolate or dark chocolate).

[0118] 13b. The product of embodiment 13, wherein the food product is a frozen dessert / confection such as a frozen dairy dessert or frozen non-dairy dessert (e.g., ice cream, frozen whipped cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or gelato, or any other frozen dessert in which any water therein is in a frozen, non-liquid state).

[0119] 13c. The product of embodiment 13, wherein the food product is a confection / confectionary such as a candy (e.g., hard candy, gummy). 13d. The product of embodiment 13, wherein the food product is a filling such as a cream filling (e.g., a cookie cream filling).

[0120] 14. The product of embodiment 12, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, or 13d, wherein the beta-1 , 3- glucan is in replacement of sucrose (e.g., all of, or some of, the sucrose that is typically used in the product has been replaced with beta-1 , 3-glucan) (e.g., useful in any food product that had typically used sucrose as a bulking agent, where the beta-1 , 3-glucan is used instead of all or some of the sucrose as the bulking agent).

[0121] 14a. The product of embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , or 12, wherein the product is a personal care product or a pharmaceutical product.

[0122] 14b. The product of embodiment 14a, wherein the product is a skin care product.

[0123] 14c. The product of embodiment 14a or 14b, wherein the product is a lotion or cosmetic. 15. A method comprising: (a) introducing a product according to embodiment 12, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, or 13d (or any other ingestible product herein) (or according to embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 36, or 37) to the oral cavity (mouth) of a human (or other mammal such as a pet [e.g., dog, cat], primate, or farm animal [e.g., pig, cow, horse, sheep, goat]) (this step is typically self-performed), and (b) optionally agitating (e.g., masticating, swishing, swirling, and / or sucking) the product in the oral cavity, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is entered into aqueous conditions, and optionally wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides a sensory benefit to the human (e.g., mouthfeel, crispness / crispiness, crunchiness, texture, body).

[0124] 16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolves in the aqueous conditions, optionally wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolving occurs in the aqueous conditions at a temperature of about body temperature (e.g., ~37 °C) or about 30-40, 30-50, 30-60, 30-65, or 35-40 °C.

[0125] 17. The method of embodiment 15 or 16, wherein the aqueous conditions comprise saliva and / or aqueous liquid (e.g., water, beverage) introduced to the oral cavity.

[0126] 18. The method of embodiment 15, 16, or 17, wherein the product is a food product (e.g., a non-aqueous or low-aqueous food product; e.g., any food of the present disclosure that can be completely, or at least partially, in a non / low-aqueous state).

[0127] 19. The method of embodiment 15, 16, 17, or 18, further comprising a step of swallowing the product.

[0128] 20. The method of embodiment 19, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides one or more nutritional / dietary benefits to the human, such as dietary fiber, prebiotic activity, calorie reduction, reduced blood sugar, and / or satiety (typically where one or more of these benefits is as compared to ingesting a control product that is the same as the product, except for [i] not having the beta-1 , 3-glucan, and / or [ii] having at least some amount of sucrose or other sugar in place of the beta-1 , 3-glucan).

[0129] 20a. A method comprising: applying a product according to embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12, 14a, 14b, 14c, 36, or 37 to the skin or body orifice of a human, optionally wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides a sensory benefit to the human, optionally wherein such sensory benefit is provided when the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolves in aqueous conditions (i) that occur in or on the skin or body orifice, or (ii) that otherwise are introduced to the skin or body orifice, optionally wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolving occurs in the aqueous conditions at a temperature of about body temperature (e.g., ~37 °C) or about 30-40, 30-50, 30-60, 30-65, or 35-40 °C.

[0130] 20b. The method of embodiment 20a, wherein the sensory benefit is a cooling effect. 21 . A method (process) of producing a dispersion (or another type of mixture of undissolved material in a medium), the method comprising: mixing at least beta-1 , 3- glucan and a non-aqueous medium or a low-aqueous medium (e.g., < 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 , 0.5, or 0.1 wt% water) to disperse the beta-1 , 3-glucan in the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium (or to otherwise mix the beta-1 , 3-glucan in the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium, such that the beta-1 , 3-glucan remains undissolved), thereby providing a dispersion (or other type of mixture) (such a dispersion or other mixture can be used in any product of the present disclosure, as appropriate, such as a food product or other ingestible product), wherein the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 27, and wherein at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

[0131] 22. The method of embodiment 21 , wherein the mixing comprises melting the nonaqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium (e.g., if the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium is solid at room temperature) (i.e. , typically by increasing the temperature of the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium), optionally wherein the mixing / melting is performed by: (i) adding the beta-1 , 3-glucan and the nonaqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium into a vessel, and then heating the vessel to melt the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium, wherein the mixing is performed after melting the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium, and / or the mixing is performed during the melting of the non-aqueous medium or the low- aqueous medium (optionally, an additional amount of one or both of these ingredients can be further added during the mixing), or (ii) adding the beta-1 , 3-glucan and the nonaqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium into a vessel, wherein the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium has been melted before adding it to the vessel (mixing can be performed during and / or after adding these ingredients) (all the while, the beta-1 , 3-glucan remains dispersed and / or undissolved in the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium).

[0132] 23. The method of embodiment 22, wherein the melting comprises increasing the temperature of the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium up to about 75 °C (e.g., 30-70, 35-70, 40-70, 30-60, 35-60, 40-60, 30-50, 35-50, or 40-50 °C), or up to about 100 °C or 105 °C (e.g., 80, 85, 90, 95, 80-100, 90-100, 95-100, 95-105, or 100- 105 °C).

[0133] 24. The method of embodiment 22 or 23, wherein the dispersion (or mixture) (following the mixing / melting) is cooled to room temperature, or to a temperature that is below the melting temperature of the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium. 25. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, or 24, wherein about 100% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

[0134] 26. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, or 25, wherein the DP of the beta-1 ,3- glucan is 8 to 16 (e.g., 10-14, 10-13, 11-14, or 11-13).

[0135] 27. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, or 26, wherein the DP of the beta- 1 , 3-glucan is 12.

[0136] 28. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, or 27, wherein the polydispersity index of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is less than about 1.2 (e.g., about, or less than about, 1.2, 1.15, 1 .1 , or 1 .05).

[0137] 29. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, or 28, wherein the beta- 1 , 3-glucan was produced in an enzymatic reaction comprising at least water, alpha- glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha-G1 P), an acceptor molecule (e.g., laminaribiose), and a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme that synthesizes beta-1 , 3-glucan.

[0138] 30. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is in crystalline form.

[0139] 31 . The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is in amorphous form.

[0140] 32. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, or 31 , wherein the non-aqueous medium or the low-aqueous medium comprises one or more oils and / or fats (i.e., lipids).

[0141] 33. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , or 32, wherein the dispersion is a stable dispersion.

[0142] 34. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32, or 33, wherein the dispersion is ingestible or can otherwise be introduced to the oral cavity of a human.

[0143] 34a. The method of embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, or

[0144] 34, wherein the dispersion can be applied to the skin or body orifice of a human.

[0145] 35. The method of embodiment 21 , 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, 34, or 34a, but wherein the mixing of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is instead with an aqueous medium (e.g., > 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 10-60, 10-50, 10-40, 10-30, 10-20, 20-60, 20-50, 20- 40, 30-60, 30-50, or 30-40 wt% water), thereby dispersing the beta-1 , 3-glucan in the aqueous medium (or otherwise mixing the beta-1 , 3-glucan in the aqueous medium, such that the beta-1 , 3-glucan remains undissolved), typically wherein the temperature of the aqueous medium is about, or less than about, 35 °C (e.g., < 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 0, 0- 10, 0-15, 0-20, 0-25, 0-30, 5-10, 5-15, 5-20, 5-25, 5-30, 15-30, 15-25, 20-30, or 20-25 °C).

[0146] 36. A dispersion or other type of mixture produced by embodiment 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, 34, 34a, or 35.

[0147] 37. A product (composition) according to embodiment 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, or 14, but wherein the product instead comprises aqueous conditions (e.g., > 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 10-60, 10-50, 10-40, 10-30, 10-20, 20-60, 20-50, 20-40, 30-60, 30-50, or 30-40 wt% water) in which the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or undissolved, typically wherein the temperature of the product is about, or less than about, 35 °C (e.g., < 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 0, -5, -10, -15, -20, -25, -15 to -25, 0-10, 0-15, 0-20, 0-25, 0-30, 5-10, 5-15, 5-20, 5-25, 5-30, 15-30, 15-25, 20-30, or 20-25 °C).

[0148] Non-limiting examples of compositions and methods disclosed herein include: 1A. A method comprising: applying a product (composition) to the skin or body orifice of a human, wherein the product comprises beta-1 , 3-glucan, wherein the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 27, wherein at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages, and wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or otherwise undissolved in non-aqueous conditions or low-aqueous conditions (e.g., < 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 , 0.5, or 0.1 wt% water) within the product (e.g., the entire product is non-aqueous or low-aqueous, and / or the beta-1 , 3-glucan is comprised within a non-aqueous or low-aqueous ingredient / portion of the product).

[0149] 2A. The method of embodiment 1 A, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides a sensory benefit to the human.

[0150] 3A. The method of embodiment 2A, wherein the sensory benefit is provided when the beta-1 , 3-glucan dissolves in aqueous conditions (i) that occur in or on the skin or body orifice, or (ii) that otherwise are introduced to the skin or body orifice.

[0151] 4A. The method of embodiment 2A or 3A, wherein the sensory benefit is a cooling effect.

[0152] 5A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, or 4A, wherein about 100% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

[0153] 6A. The product of embodiment 1 A, 2A, 3A, 4A, or 5A, wherein the DP of the beta- 1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 16 (e.g., 10-14, 10-13, 11-14, or 11-13). 7A. The product of embodiment 1 A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, or 6A, wherein the DP of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 12.

[0154] 8A. The product of embodiment 1 A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, or 7A, wherein the polydispersity index of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is less than about 1.2 (e.g., about, or less than about, 1.2, 1.15, 1 .1 , or 1 .05).

[0155] 9A. The product of embodiment 1 A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, or 8A, wherein the beta- 1 , 3-glucan was produced in an enzymatic reaction comprising at least water, alpha- glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha-G1 P), an acceptor molecule (e.g., laminaribiose), and a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme that synthesizes beta-1 , 3-glucan.

[0156] 10A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, or 9A, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is in crystalline form (e.g., having a Cl of at least about 0.55).

[0157] 11A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, or 9A, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is in amorphous form (e.g., having a Cl of less than about 0.25).

[0158] 12A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, or 11 A, wherein the non-aqueous conditions or the low-aqueous conditions comprise one or more oils and / or fats (i.e., lipids).

[0159] 13A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11 A, or 12A, wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed in the non-aqueous conditions or the low- aqueous conditions, and optionally wherein this dispersion is a stable dispersion.

[0160] 14A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11 A, 12A, or 13A, wherein the product is a personal care product or a pharmaceutical product.

[0161] 15A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11 A, 12A, 13A, or 14A, wherein the product is a skin care product.

[0162] 16A. The product of embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11 A, 12A, 13A, 14A, or 15A, wherein the product is a lotion or cosmetic.

[0163] 17A. A product (composition) according to embodiment 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11 A, 12A, 13A, 14A, 15A, or 16A, but wherein the product instead comprises aqueous conditions (e.g., > 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 10-60, 10-50, 10-40, 10-30, 10-20, 20-60, 20-50, 20-40, 30-60, 30-50, or 30-40 wt% water) in which the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or undissolved, typically wherein the temperature of the product is about, or less than about, 35 °C (e.g., < 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 0, 0-10, 0- 15, 0-20, 0-25, 0-30, 5-10, 5-15, 5-20, 5-25, 5-30, 15-30, 15-25, 20-30, or 20-25 °C). EXAMPLES

[0164] The present disclosure is further exemplified in the following Examples. It should be understood that these Examples, while indicating certain aspects herein, are given by way of illustration only. From the above discussion and these Examples, one skilled in the art can ascertain the essential characteristics of the disclosed embodiments, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to adapt the disclosed embodiments to various uses and conditions.

[0165] Example 1

[0166] Solubility of Beta-1 , 3-Glucan in Aqueous Conditions

[0167] Beta-1 , 3-glucan of various DP values (below) was produced enzymatically as described in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2019 / 0322990, which is incorporated herein by reference. The size distribution of the beta-1 , 3-glucan as measured by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) was about 2.0 kDa to about 4.3 kDa (i.e., DP of about 12 to about 27). Each molecular weight species of beta-1 , 3-glucan was of about 100% beta- 1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

[0168] The above-produced beta-1 , 3-glucan was subjected to solubility studies. It was found that the beta-1 ,3 glucan has thermo-reversible solubility properties under aqueous conditions. Upon heating it in aqueous conditions, it becomes soluble. This solubility transition was measured using a spectrophotometer operating at 450 nm wavelength for absorbance readings, with an incubation time of 30 minutes and step-up increments of 4 °C from 29 °C to 69 °C. The thermo-reversibility of solubilization strongly depended on beta-1 , 3-glucan molecular weight. In particular, it was discovered that the upper-critical solubility temperature for the series of these beta-1 , 3-glucan species (2.0, 2.5, 2.7, 3.1 , 3.9, 4.2 and 4.3 kDa) was proportional to molecular weight (FIG. 1). The temperature range of this phase transition was measured to be between 33 °C and 60 °C for beta- 1 , 3-glucan with a distribution between 2.0 kDa and 4.3 kDa, respectively. Overall, it was found possible to tune the beta-1 , 3-glucan solubilization (“melting”) point in aqueous conditions within a range of approximately 30 °C. FIG. 2 shows the solubilization temperatures of the analyzed beta-1 , 3-glucans.

[0169] Example 2

[0170] Preparing a Product Comprising Beta-1 , 3-Glucan in Non-Aqueous Conditions Beta-1 , 3-glucan of Mw 2.5 kDa (~DP 15) that was synthesized as described above was solubilized in water, oven-dried, and milled. Two powders were prepared; one powder was coarse while the other was fine. These powders were tested in a nonaqueous cream system, as follows. The following compositions were prepared:

[0171] - 100% Sugar Reference: 35 wt% palm fat, 65 wt% sucrose.

[0172] - 50% Sugar Replacement — Coarse: 35 wt% palm fat, 32.5 wt% sucrose, 32.5 wt% coarse beta-1 , 3-glucan powder.

[0173] - 100% Sugar Replacement — Coarse: 35 wt% palm fat, 65 wt% coarse beta-1 , 3- glucan powder.

[0174] - 100% Sugar Replacement — Fine: 35 wt% palm fat, 65 wt% fine beta-1 ,3- glucan powder.

[0175] Each of these compositions was prepared by mixing and heating at 70 °C in a water bath. The palm fat in each sample melted, and the sucrose and / or beta-1 , 3- glucan were dispersed in crystalline form in the non-aqueous medium of the melted palm fat. Both the sucrose and beta-1 , 3-glucan retained their respective crystallinity throughout this preparation process. At the elevated temperature in which the palm fat in each sample was melted, the 100% Sugar Reference sample showed phase separation, while the 100% Sugar Replacement — Fine sample appeared to maintain a complete dispersion of the beta-1 , 3-glucan in the melted palm fat (i.e., no separation was observed).

[0176] Each sample was then cooled to room temperature and mixed to a cream composition (FIG. 3). Both the 100% Sugar Replacement — Fine and -Coarse cream samples retained a level of crystallinity, as did the 100% Sugar Reference cream sample. The 100% Sugar Replacement — Fine cream sample was closest in appearance to the 100% Sugar Reference cream composition. Altogether, these results demonstrate the feasibility of completely replacing sucrose with beta-1 , 3-glucan disclosed herein.

[0177] The beta-1 , 3-glucan sample (~DP 15) used in this Example dissolves under aqueous conditions at about 44 °C (FIGs. 1 and 2), which is above normal human body temperature. However, based on the foregoing results, beta-1 , 3-glucan herein with a lower DP such 12 (which dissolves under aqueous conditions at about 35 °C) is expected to exhibit the same or closely similar crystallinity profile under non-aqueous conditions at both elevated temperature and room temperature, and therefore be useful as a sucrose replacer in food and related applications for human consumption.

[0178] Based on the above results in Examples 1 and 2, it is evident that a bulk sugar (sucrose) replacer is presently provided by the beta-1 , 3-glucan studied, as species thereof retain crystallinity on heating in non-aqueous systems. The term “bulk sugar replacer” is used here since the crystallinity of sucrose is often used as a bulking property when it is added as an ingredient in foodstuff and other products. Another important aspect of an ideal bulk sugar replacer - which the presently disclosed beta- 1 ,3-glucan provides - is that it can dissolve in certain aqueous environments at body temperature (e.g., thus relevant for consumption as a food or other ingestion purpose). The crystallinity provides the texture (e.g., crunch) and / or body that is desired by consumers, while its aqueous-solubility allows for quick dissolution (“melting”) during consumption (e.g., mastication and swallowing). The presently disclosed beta-1 , 3- glucan displays these properties, thereby qualifying this biomaterial as an ideal bulk sugar replacer. Beta-1 ,3-glucan herein also is expected to have desirable nutritional properties such as being non-caloric and having prebiotic and / or dietary fiber activity.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method comprising: applying a product to the skin or body orifice of a human, wherein the product comprises beta-1 , 3-glucan, wherein the degree of polymerization (DP) of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 27, wherein at least about 90% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages, and wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is dispersed and / or undissolved in non-aqueous conditions or low-aqueous conditions within the product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan provides a sensory benefit to the human.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensory benefit is provided when the beta- 1 , 3-glucan dissolves in aqueous conditions (i) that occur in or on said skin or body orifice, or (ii) that otherwise are introduced to said skin or body orifice.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said sensory benefit is a cooling effect.

5. The product of claim 1 , wherein about 100% of the glycosidic linkages of the beta-1 , 3-glucan are beta-1 ,3 glycosidic linkages.

6. The product of claim 1 , wherein the DP of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 8 to 16.

7. The product of claim 1 , wherein the DP of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is 12.

8. The product of claim 1 , wherein the polydispersity index of the beta-1 , 3-glucan is less than about 1.2.

9. The product of claim 1 , wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan was produced in an enzymatic reaction comprising at least water, alpha-glucose-1 -phosphate (alpha- G1 P), an acceptor molecule, and a beta-1 , 3-glucan phosphorylase enzyme that synthesizes beta-1 , 3-glucan.

10. The product of claim 1 , wherein the beta-1 , 3-glucan is in crystalline form.

11. The product of claim 1 , wherein the beta-1 ,3-glucan is in amorphous form.

12. The product of claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous conditions or the low-aqueous conditions comprise one or more oils and / or fats.

13. The product of claim 1 , wherein the beta-1 ,3-glucan is dispersed in the nonaqueous conditions or the low-aqueous conditions, and optionally wherein this dispersion is a stable dispersion.

14. The product of claim 1 , wherein the product is a personal care product or a pharmaceutical product.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein the product is a skin care product.

16. The product of claim 14, wherein the product is a lotion or cosmetic.

Images