Black Goji Berry (Lycium ruthenicum Murray): A Review of Its Pharmacological Activity

Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LRM; commonly known as black goji berry or black wolfberry), a plant in the Solanaceae family, grows in the deserts of China's Qinghai-Tibet plateau. LRM is widely consumed in traditional Chinese medicine, and its fruits are frequently used as herbal remedies to treat heart disease, fatigue, inflammation, and other conditions. Many studies have reported that LRM is rich in functional phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins and polysaccharides, and has various pharmacological actions. This article reviews research on the biological and pharmacological effects of the constituents of LRM fruits. LRM has various pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation, immune-enhancing, anti-tumor, and protective effects. LRM has much promise as a dietary supplement for preventing many types of chronic metabolic disease.

Anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murray Ameliorated High-Fructose Diet-Induced Neuroinflammation through the Promotion of the Integrity of the Intestinal Barrier and the Proliferation of Lactobacillus

In the present study, we found that anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murray (ACN) potently ameliorated a high-fructose diet (HFrD)-induced neuroinflammation in mice. ACN improved the integrity of the intestinal barrier and suppressed the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway to ameliorate the neuroinflammation, which was verified by Tlr4^-/- mice. Furthermore, ACN could modulate the HFrD-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota. The fecal microbiota transplantation from ACN-induced mice was sufficient to attenuate the neuroinflammation, while the amelioration of neuroinflammation by ACN was blocked upon gut microbiota depletion. In addition, ACN-induced increment of the relative abundance of Lactobacillus might be responsible for the alleviation of the neuroinflammation, which was further confirmed in the promoting effect of ACN on the growth of Lactobacillus in vitro. Overall, these results provided the evidence of a comprehensive cross-talk mechanism between ACN and neuroinflammation in HFrD-fed mice, which was mediated by reducing gut microbiota dysbiosis and maintaining the intestinal barrier integrity.