Inulin is a versatile biopolymer that is non-digestible in the upper alimentary tract and acts as a bifidogenic prebiotic which selectively promotes gut health and modulates gut–organ axes through short-chain fatty acids and possibly yet-to-be-known interactions. Inulin usage as a fiber ingredient in food has been approved by the FDA since June 2018 and it is predicted that the universal inulin market demand will skyrocket in the near future because of its novel applications in health and diseases. This comprehensive review outlines the known applications of inulin in various disciplines ranging from medicine to industry, covering its benefits in gut health and diseases, metabolism, drug delivery, therapeutic pharmacology, nutrition, and the prebiotics industry. Furthermore, this review acknowledges the attention of researchers to knowledge gaps regarding the usages of inulin as a key modulator in the gut–organ axes.

Mannans are structurally composed of β-(1 → 4)-linked mannose units, which are widely distributed in plant cell walls, yeast, and bacterial exopolysaccharides. Mannans have emerged as multipurpose biopolymers with significant industrial and biomedical potential. Celebrated mannans include guar gum, locust bean gum, konjac glucomannan, yeast mannans, and softwood glucomannans. This comprehensive review highlights the sources, structural diversity, extraction methods, physicochemical properties, safety, and functional characteristics. The major bioactivities of mannans, including immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and prebiotic effects, reflect their relevance in biopharmaceutical applications. Moreover, mannans serve as valuable raw materials for developing biodegradable films, hydrogels, and nanocomposites applied in sustainable materials and drug delivery systems. Despite promising applications, challenges related to their large-scale production, standardization, and functional optimization remain to be investigated. Future perspectives focus on integrating advanced biotechnological approaches and chemical modifications to enhance the functional versatility of mannans. Overall, mannans represent a sustainable, multifunctional biopolymer with expanding applications across food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries.

Mannans are structurally composed of β-(1→4)-linked mannose units, which are widely distributed in plant cell walls, yeast, and bacterial exopolysaccharides. Mannans have emerged as multipurpose biopolymers with significant industrial and biomedical potential. Celebrated mannans include guar gum, locust bean gum, konjac glucomannan, yeast mannans, and softwood glucomannans. This comprehensive review highlights the sources, structural diversity, extraction methods, physicochemical properties, and functional characteristics. The major bioactivities of mannans, including immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and prebiotic effects, reflect their relevance in biopharmaceutical applications. Moreover, mannans serve as valuable raw materials for developing biodegradable films, hydrogels, and nanocomposites applied in sustainable materials and drug delivery systems. Despite promising applications, challenges related to their large-scale production, standardization, and functional optimization remain to be investigated. Future perspectives focus on integrating advanced biotechnological approaches and chemical modifications to enhance the functional versatility of mannans. Overall, mannans represent a sustainable, multifunctional biopolymer with expanding applications across food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries.

Objectives: The role of serum cholesterol and its interactions with cytokines in human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) pathophysiology is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation among serum total cholesterol (TC), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and cytokines (including interleukin [IL] 10), IL-12 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α) in CL. The cholesterol–cytokine network was analysed to illuminate the pathogenesis of CL. Methods: This case-control study was conducted from December 2022 to March 2023 in hospitals within Baghdad and Wasit provinces, Iraq, and included CL and CL-free subjects ranging between 20–30 years of age. The serum samples were analysed via commercial kits to detect TC, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, VLDL-C, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG levels. Computational efforts to dissect cholesterol-protein interaction networks were employed using STITCH. Results: A total of 50 CL and 25 control subjects were included. The TC, HDL-C and LDL-C levels in CL patients were markedly lower (P = 0.0001) than in control subjects, whereas the IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, VLDL-C and TG levels were higher in CL patients. Serum cholesterol showed no correlation with cytokines; however, a significant correlation (r = 0.57; P = 0.026) was observed between IL-12 and TNF-α. Within the cholesterol-protein network, cholesterol potentially interacted with IL-10, connecting cholesterol to modules with immunological significance, including TRAF1, TRAF2 and TNF receptor superfamily member 1B, as well as IL-10, IL-10RA and IL-12RB1. Conclusion: This study showed the alteration of lipid and lipoprotein in CL and introduced 2 immunological modules in CL, highlighting the importance of the altered cholesterol-cytokine interaction network in CL.