What are the health benefits of goji berries?
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What are the health benefits of goji berries?
Potential of galled leaves of Goji (Lycium chinense) as functional food
The Goji plant (primarily Lycium barbarum and L. chinense) has been used for traditional medicine and cuisine in East Asia for centuries, and recently, these uses of Goji plant have been receiving more attention in western countries [1, 2]. The Goji fruit, also known as the wolfberry or Goji berry, is the main product commercialized as health food. Goji berry contains high amount of functional components, including sugars [3], carotenoids [4], and essential fatty acids [5].The polysaccharides extracted from wolfberries contain high antioxidative properties and have the ability to treat and prevent multiple chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and male infertility [6,7,8,9]. The root bark of Goji (Lycii Radicis Cortex) has been used in treating hypertension and reducing serum glucose and lipids [10,11,12]. Other functions of the Lycii Radicis Cortex extract include inhibition of CCl4-induced hepatic damage and protection of skin from UVB radiation [13, 14].
Goji leaves are herbs that are traditionally used in tea and cuisine and has been recognized as a health food. It has also been found that the extracts of Goji leaves possess multiple pharmacological effects, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic effects [15,16,17,18]. However, the comprehensive profiles of biochemical compounds in Goji leaves have only been identified in recent decades. Goji leaves contain high amounts of specific flavonoids and phenolic acids, such as chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and rutin [16, 19]. Comparative studies have demonstrated the differences in compound contents between the leaves of L. babarum and L. chinense, with higher amounts of chlorogenic acid present in the leaves of L. chinense [16]. After comparing the compounds in the fruit, leaves, and root barks of Goji, results indicate that Goji leaves are valuable sources for obtaining chlorogenic acid and rutin [18]. Moreover, Goji leaves also contain polysaccharides that exert high superoxide and DPPH scavenging abilities, therefore having high antioxidative activity.
Goji plants are susceptible to the Goji gall mite, Aceria kuko [20], which is a pest that induces yellow-green, bead-like galls in the gall sector of the leaves. Severe infection causes the loss of photosynthetic ability and eventually reduces fruit production, and the infected leaves are regarded as waste. Pesticides are often used in controlling gall mite-induced damage; however, the application of pesticides is dependent on environmental temperatures and on the growing season in order to maximize effectiveness, yet its impact is still limited [21]. Pesticide residue is also one of the concerns when using chemicals on leaves. Although defoliation of galled leaves is relatively effective in practice, this method is costly and time consuming [22].
The infection of galls has been found to induce the biosynthesis of bioactive ingredients, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, in both plant and gall tissues [23,24,25], thus, it might be a good idea to take advantage of the gall infection. An excellent example of benefiting from gall infections is the use of infected Rhus chinensis Mill. in biomedical applications, as it was found to have high antioxidant activities in infected leaf tissues, as well as antiviral, antibacterial, and antitumor function in the gall tissues [26, 27]. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of gall infection on the contents of health-related compounds in the leaves of L. chinense. Our data show that the contents of polyphenol and the level of chlorogenic acid and rutin were increased in the infected leaves. Leaf extracts also exhibited higher antioxidant activities after infection. Our results indicate that infected leaves have potential use in pharmacological applications and may possibly be consumed as health food.
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