Microbial Diversity and Bioactive Compounds in Dried Lycium barbarum Fruits (Goji): A Comparative Study

Mechanism of Lycium barbarum in treating periodontitis based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the active components of Lycium barbarum (L. barbarum) and their therapeutic role in periodontitis through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The active ingredients and targets of L. barbarum and the targets of periodontitis were retrieved from multiple pharmaceutical databases. An L. barbarum-active ingredients-targets network diagram was constructed by Cytoscape software. A protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING platform. Hub targets were enriched using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Key periodontitis targets were analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics. Raw264.7 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with L. barbarum extract at concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 μg/mL. Anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated by measuring IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Osteoclast differentiation was induced for 5 d, MMP9, RANK, and TRAP mRNA expression were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and osteoclast formation was confirmed via tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining.

RESULTS

We identified 45 active ingredients and 205 potential targets of L. barbarum alongside 3,520 periodontitis targets. A total of 132 L. barbarum-periodontitis co-targets were identified. The hub genes of L. barbarum regulate periodontitis and have strong binding activity with active ingredients. The involvement of inflammatory factors, such as IL-1β and IL-6, and signaling pathways, including TNF, IL-17, and HIF-1, was verified. L. barbarum extract significantly reduced IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 cells. Additionally, L. barbarum extract downregulated MMP9, RANK, and TRAP expression and inhibited osteoclast differentiation, as evidenced by the reduced number of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The bioactive constituents of L. barbarum were verified to exert anti-inflammatory and osteoclastogenesis-inhibitory effects by targeting inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress, and TNF, IL-17, and HIF-1 signaling pathways, demonstrating potential therapeutic benefits for periodontitis.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

L. barbarum. may serve as a natural therapeutic agent for periodontitis by modulating immune responses and targeting key inflammatory mediators and signaling pathways.

Type 2 diabetes prevention: genetic association analysis of dried fruit intake and disease risk

Prior research has suggested an inverse correlation between dried fruit intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), yet the causal link remains uncertain. This study seeks to investigate the potential causal impact of dried fruit intake on T2DM, covering cases both with and without various complications, as well as glycaemic traits, using a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach. Using MR analysis with genome-wide association study summary statistics, the primary analysis investigated the causal relationship between dried fruit intake and T2DM, both with and without complications, as well as glycaemic traits, employing the inverse variance weighted method. Supplementary analyses were conducted using MR-Egger and the weighted median method. Heterogeneity and intercept tests were utilised to evaluate the robustness of the study outcomes. The results show a significant association between dried fruit intake and T2DM without complications, as well as fasting insulin. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results and the independence from multicollinearity. However, no association was found between dried fruit intake and T2DM with various complications or other glycaemic traits. The significant association between dried fruit intake and T2DM without complications and fasting insulin persisted even after adjusting for BMI. This study offers genetic evidence endorsing the protective effects of dried fruit intake against T2DM, specifically for cases without complications, and in regulating fasting insulin. These findings suggest that dried fruit intake might serve as a primary preventive strategy for T2DM.

Effects of fruit and vegetable intake on memory and attention: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Memory and attention are important for daily functioning, and their function deteriorates due to aging. However, fruit and vegetable consumption are one of the protective factors against deterioration in memory and attention. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aims to identify the effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on memory and attention.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search in EBSCOhost, ProQuest, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception up to 06/09/2022. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles, fruit and vegetable intake measured using randomized controlled trials, and the outcome measures that showed the results of memory and attention scores. Two researchers independently extracted articles that met the selection criteria and evaluated the quality of each study.

RESULTS

There were 70 articles identified from the databases, of which 13 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. There were 493 participants in total. The results show that consumption of fruit and vegetable intake improved memory and attention in longitudinal studies (10 to 12 weeks). Children showed improvement in immediate recall after supplementation with blueberries. Older adults required a higher dose of fruit and vegetable intake consumption to achieve significant improvement compared with children and younger adults. Furthermore, the effect of fruits and vegetables on memory showed better immediate memory recall than delayed recall.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review showed that there is an improvement in memory and attention with fruit and vegetable intake consumption. Hence, awareness of fruit and vegetable intake consumption is important to maintain cognitive health.

Endophytic fungi of Lycium barbarum: isolation, determination, bioactivity and separation of compounds

Lycium barbarum is widely distributed in China and used as a traditional Chinese medicine herb to treat dizziness, abdominal pain, dry cough, headache and fatigue. Several studies have examined the endophytes of L. barbarum from northwest China; however, few have focused on that from eastern China. The objective of this study was to isolate and determine the endophytic fungi of L. barbarum from Shandong province, as well as to obtain and identify active secondary metabolites from the endophytes. In this study, 17 endophytic fungi were isolated from L. barbarum and denoted as GQ-1 to GQ-17, respectively. These fungi were further classified into ten genera based on the morphological and ITS identification. The crude extracts of these fungi were obtained by using liquid fermentation and EtOAc extraction, and their antibacterial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities were evaluated. The results showed that GQ-6 and GQ-16 exhibited high inhibitory activity; GQ-6 and GQ-9 showed high cytotoxic activity and GQ-5 exhibited high scavenging capability for DPPH free radicals. Additionally, Cladosporium sp. GQ-6 was used to investigate the secondary metabolites. The crude extracts were purified by using column chromatography, reverse column, and liquid chromatography, and four monomeric compounds were identified, including two known compounds (α-acetylorcinol (1) and cladosporester B (2)) and two new compounds (cladosporacid F (3) and cladosporester D (4)). The anti-fungal and antibacterial activities of these compounds were confirmed, but no cytotoxic activity was observed. In conclusion, endophytic fungi of L. barbarum from eastern China can serve as a potential source of active natural products with antibacterial and antioxidant properties.