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Background: Wolfberry is rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins, alkaloids, betaines and other bioactive ingredients. For over 2,000 years, wolfberry has been used in China as a medicinal and edible plant resource. Nevertheless, the content of bioactive ingredients varies by cultivars, resulting in uneven quality across wolfberry cultivars and species. To date, research has revealed little about the underlying molecular mechanism of the metabolism of flavonoids, carotenoids, and other bioactive ingredients in wolfberry. Results: In this context, the transcriptomes of the Lycium barbarum L. cultivar 'Ningqi No. 1' and Lycium chinense Miller were compared during the fruit maturity stage using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing platform, and subsequently, the changes of the gene expression profiles in two types of wolfberries were analysed. In total, 256,228,924 clean reads were obtained, and 8817 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, then assembled by Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) similarity searches and annotated using Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (KOG), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). By combining these transcriptome data with data from the PubMed database, 36 DEGs related to the metabolism of bioactive ingredients and implicated in the metabolic pathway of carotenoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, vitamins, etc., were identified. In addition, among the 9 differentially expressed transcription factors, LbAPL, LbPHL11 and LbKAN4 have raised concerns. The protein physicochemical properties, structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis indicated that LbAPL and LbPHL11 may be good candidate genes involved in regulating the flavonoid metabolism pathway in wolfberry. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence for the differences in bioactive ingredient content at the transcription level among different wolfberry species, as well as a research and theoretical basis for the screening, cloning and functional analysis of key genes involved in the metabolism of bioactive ingredients in wolfberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycium barbarum L. and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Gouqi and Danshen, LS) have led to their inclusion in the pharmacopoeia and healthcare systems of numerous countries globally. Traditional herbs known as LS are used in China to treat retinitis pigmentosa (RP). However, the mechanism is not clear. This study is to investigate the mechanism by which LS improves RP using rd10 mice as a model. LS extract was used to treat the rd10 mice for four weeks. Fundus photographs, optical coherence tomography, electroretinography, histopathological examination, TUNEL apoptosis assay, digital PCR analysis, western blotting, and immunofluorescence double staining were performed. The outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness of the retina was significantly increased by the LS extract, improving atrophy, and both the ONL and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer were visible. Following treatment with LS extract, there was a notable increase in the magnitudes of ERG a- and b-waves in the retina, along with a significant reduction in the quantity of TUNEL-positive cells. Additionally, LS extract significantly reduced the levels of ER stress-related factors in rd10 mice. The results of immunofluorescence double staining further confirm that LS extract inhibits the GRP78/PERK/ATF4/CHOP pathway. In this study, the protective effects of LS extract on the retina were uncovered, suggesting that its mechanism could involve decreasing retinal cell apoptosis through the inhibition of the ER stress pathway. [Display omitted] • Lycium barbarum L. and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract improve retinal morphology and function. • Regulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibit the cell apoptosis in the retina. • Lycium barbarum L. and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract against endoplasmic reticulum stress in rd10 mice was first explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desert ecosystems are an important component of terrestrial ecosystems and land use change directly affects their composition and function. However, there have been few studies on how land use change impacts the carbon–land–water nexus in desert ecosystems. We studied the effects of replacing sacsaoul (Haloxylon ammodendron), a typical natural vegetation in the Qaidam basin, China, with artificially planted goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) using the denitrification‐decomposition (DNDC) model. Our results showed that DNDC model coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash‐Sutcliffe modelling efficiency (NSE) both reached 0.92 for sacsaoul and goji berry, and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the simulation was 495 kg ha−1 and 116 kg ha−1 for sacsaoul and goji berry, respectively. The land use change from sacsaoul to goji berry induced a significant increase in global warming potential (GWP) and the water footprint, but decreased the water user efficiency (WUE). The WUE decreased by 1.2, 2.9, and 3.5 kg m−3 for the core zone, buffer zone, and experimental zone when the land cover changed from sacsaoul to goji berry, respectively. Meanwhile, the total water footprint and the GWP increased 2214 m3 t−1 and 4744 CO2 eq. ha−1, 2295 m3 t−1 and 5297 CO2 eq. ha−1, and 2316 m3 t−1 and 5224 CO2 eq. ha−1 for the core zone, buffer zone, and experimental zone, respectively. In conclusion, we suggest that the maintenance of natural vegetation (sacsaoul) in desert ecosystems may be the optimal choice to cope with climate change and mitigate land desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Aim of the study: Lycium barbarum L. is a renowned Yin strengthening agent in traditional Chinese medicine. Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharide–protein complex is well-known for its immunoregulatory and antitumor effects. LBPF4-OL is the glycan part of Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharide–protein complex fraction 4 (LBPF4). LBPF4-OL''s active contribution in LBPF4 is still blank. In the study, we enrich the polysaccharide part of Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharide–protein complex, and investigate its immunostimulatory effects on mouse spleen cells, T cells, B cells and macrophages. Materials and methods: Balb/C mice were used in vitro and in vivo studies. In in vitro study, lymphocyte proliferations were analyzed with 3H-TdR incorporation method. Miltenyi MicroBeads were used in the purification of lymphocytes. Activation of T and B cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. In order to obtain the peritoneal macrophages, mice were injected i.p. with 1mL of sodium thioglycollate 3 days prior to killing. Spleen cells were stimulated with LBPF4-OL and cytokine concentrations in the supernatants were determined by multiplex bead analysis. In in vivo study, mice were injected i.p. with 1mL of normal saline or 100μg/mL LBPF4-OL daily for 6 days. Peritoneal macrophage functions were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry assay. Results: Spleen cells and lymphocyte proliferation assay indicated that LBPF4-OL markedly induced the spleen cell proliferation, but could not induce proliferation of purified T and B lymphocytes. Further research revealed that B cell proliferation took place in the presence of activated macrophages or LPS. Multiplex bead analysis showed that LBPF4-OL can obviously induce IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α production of the spleen cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis showed that LBPF4-OL (i.p.) prompts CD86 and MHC-II molecules expression on macrophages. ELISA assay showed that LBPF4-OL can greatly strengthen macrophage releasing of TNF-α and IL-1β. Conclusion: These results suggested that glycan LBPF4-OL plays an important role in the immunopharmacological activity of Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharide–protein complex, and primary mouse macrophages, rather than T and B cells, are the principal target cells of it. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, the contents of fructose, glucose, sucrose, Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) and total sugar were determined in the fruits of different cultivated varieties of L. barbarum and of the congeneric species Lycium chinense from different regions. The results showed that the sugar accumulated mainly in the form of hexoses (glucose & fructose). Significant correlations among metabolism-related sugars, LBP and total sugar in the fruit of Ningqi No.1 implied the important role of sugar metabolism in the syntheses of LBP and total sugar. The LBP content of Ningqi No.1 in Ningxia region was the highest among all the cultivated varieties and species. The sugar accumulation was significantly affected by ecological factors such as HCO3 −, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl− in soil total salt, pH, soil organic matter and available nitrogen. These findings have profound implications for proper fertilization management and any attempt to grow L. barbarum in new sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Leaves of Lycium barbarum are widely used as medicine vegetables and functional tea in China. The main flavonoids present in the leaves were separated and identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC-(APCI) MS) and ultraviolet-visible spectra with shift additives. The predominant flavonoid was identified as rutin. Leaves are the rutin-rich parts (16.03–16.33 mg/g). In the wild and cultivated L. barbarum fruits, contents of rutin were determined very low (0.09–1.38 mg/g). The contents of total flavonoids (21.25 mg/g) of cultivated L. barbarum leaves were much higher than those in the wild L. barbarum leaves (17.86 mg/g), so cultivated barbarum leaves are a suitable source for medicine vegetables and functional tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Root fresh weight, root dry weight, root nitrogen accumulation, chlorophyll content, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the root, shoot, and leaf are suitable for evaluating the NUE in different goji cultivars under nitrogen stress. • Identified Ningqi 1 (A) was high and Ning1Y (E) was low in nitrogen use efficiency under nitrogen stress. • The difference of glutamate synthase activity in the root may be the reason for the difference in nitrogen use efficiency Nitrogen (N) deficiency is a common problem for Lycium barbarum L. (goji) production in arid and semi-arid areas of northwestern of China. The development of new nitrogen-efficient goji cultivars under low nitrogen conditions is an important way to solve this problem. In the present study, morphological and nutrient-based parameters of Ningqi 1 (A), 1402 (B), Ningqi 7 (C), 1401 (D), and Ning1Y (E) were comprehensively evaluated under different nitrogen levels in the greenhouse. Finally, we concluded that Ningqi 1 (A) was high and Ning1Y (E) was low in nitrogen use efficiency under nitrogen stress. Difference of glutamate synthase activity in the root may be the reason for the difference in nitrogen use efficiency between Ningqi 1 (A) and Ning1Y (E). This work provides a reliable and comprehensive method to assess nitrogen utilization under low nitrogen conditions in goji and reveals possible physiological difference mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high salt- and drought-tolerance of Lycium barbarum L. (goji berry) makes the plant suitable for cultivation in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwest China. However, monocropping of L. barbarum has caused severe issues, including increasing plant disease incidents and declining goji berry productivity. The negative impacts of L. barbarum monocropping on the soil health over time remain unclear. We investigated the temporal shifts in soil properties and microbial community diversity in the top (0–20 cm) and subsoils (20–40 cm) of L. barbarum fields across a 20-year age sequence and the adjacent control fields at two independent research sites in Ningxia, China. Our results show that L. barbarum monocropping leads to accumulation of total organic C, N, P, and available N stocks, but simultaneously caused secondary soil salinization and soil pH declination. The community α-diversity indices and the dissimilarities in community compositions of bacteria and fungi generally decline with the increase in stand age at both soil depths. Co-occurrence analysis found a decreased complexity of network structure with stand development, indicating that monocropping would profoundly disrupt the potential interactions among soil microbes. The phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium spp. progressively prevailed in soils of L. barbarum fields. The structural equation modeling further demonstrates that the variation in bacterial community composition directly explained the increase in the absolute abundance of Fusarium spp. The results infer an essential role of soil bacterial assemblages in the biocontrol of Fusarium wilt of L. barbarum under monocropping. Together, our results suggest that secondary soil salinization, loss of soil microbial diversity, and build-up of fungal phytopathogens, particularly in subsoils, are major threats to the soil health of L. barbarum field. An in-depth understanding of these threats to soil quality could help develop sustainable cropping management for L. barbarum. • L. barbarum monocropping induces secondary soil salinization. • L. barbarum monocropping causes microbial diversity loss and build-up of pathogens. • L. barbarum monocropping disrupts the potential interactions among microbes. • Subsoil is prone to build-up of negative plant-soil feedback relative to topsoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to characterize biogenic amines (BAs) in different parts of Lycium barbarum L. using HPLC with dansyl chloride derivatization, and jointly, to provide referential data for further exploration and utilization of Lycium barbarum L. The linear correlation coefficients for all BAs were above 0.9989. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.015–0.075 and 0.05–0.25 μg/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviations for the intra-day and inter-day precision were 0.66–2.69% and 0.91–4.38%. The described method has good repeatability and intermediate precision for the quantitative determination of BAs in different parts of Lycium barbarum L. Satisfactory recovery for all amines was obtained (79.3–110.3%). The result showed that there were four kinds of BAs. The highest putrescine content (20.9 ± 3.2 mg/kg) was found in the flower. The highest histamine content (102.7 ± 5.8 mg/kg) was detected in the bark, and the highest spermidine (13.3 ± 1.6 mg/kg) and spermine (23.7 ± 2.0 mg/kg) contents were detected in the young leaves. The high histamine (HIS) content in the bark may be one of the reasons why all of the parts of Lycium barbarum L., except the bark, are used for medicine or food in China. Meanwhile, the issue of the high concentration of HIS should be considered when exploiting or utilizing the bark of Lycium barbarum L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) has been widely cultivated in China, particularly in northwest regions. However, the fruit size and taste of L. barbarum from different habitats are quite different. Traditionally, only the fruit of L. barbarum produced in Ningxia province is recorded as an authentic herb, although the detailed mechanism responsible for this remains obscure. Polysaccharides are considered major active ingredients in L. barbarum which is crucial for its quality evaluation. Methods: In this study, we assessed the yield, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and conformation of L. barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) collected from different regions of China. The antioxidant and immune activities of LBPs were also determined as its quality indicator. Results: Our results showed that the similarity values of monosaccharide composition were larger than 0.926, and the Mw of the two fractions (peaks 1–2) in LBPs were ranging from 1.36 × 106 to 2.01 × 106 (peak 1), and 6.85 × 104 to 10.30 × 104 (peak 2) which indicated that the structure of LBPs were similar. In addition, results showed that there was no significant difference in antioxidant and immune activities of nine LBPs from different regions. However, the yield of LBPs from Qinghai Province (low atmospheric temperature, high altitude) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those collected from Xinjiang and Ningxia province. Conclusions: These data suggested that the L. barbarum produced in Ningxia and Xinjiang maybe more suitable as materials for medicines and functional foods. This study also provides a reference for improving the quality control standard of LBPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycium barbarum L. fruits (Chinese wolfberries) were differentiated for their cultivation locations and the cultivars by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and flow injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting techniques combined with chemometrics analyses. The partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to the data projection and supervised learning with validation. The samples formed clusters in the projected data. The prediction accuracies by PLS-DA with bootstrapped Latin partition validation were greater than 90% for all models. The chemical profiles of Chinese wolfberries were also obtained. The differentiation techniques might be utilized for Chinese wolfberry authentication.