Zeaxanthin dipalmitate-enriched wolfberry extract improves vision in a mouse model of photoreceptor degeneration.

Zeaxanthin dipalmitate (ZD) is a chemical extracted from wolfberry that protects degenerated photoreceptors in mouse retina. However, the pure ZD is expensive and hard to produce. In this study, we developed a method to enrich ZD from wolfberry on a production line and examined whether it may also protect the degenerated mouse retina. The ZD-enriched wolfberry extract (ZDE) was extracted from wolfberry by organic solvent method, and the concentration of ZD was identified by HPLC. The adult C57BL/6 mice were treated with ZDE or solvent by daily gavage for 2 weeks, at the end of the first week the animals were intraperitoneally injected with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea to induce photoreceptor degeneration. Then optomotor, electroretinogram, and immunostaining were used to test the visual behavior, retinal light responses, and structure. The final ZDE product contained ~30mg/g ZD, which was over 9 times higher than that from the dry fruit of wolfberry. Feeding degenerated mice with ZDE significantly improved the survival of photoreceptors, enhanced the retinal light responses and the visual acuity. Therefore, our ZDE product successfully alleviated retinal morphological and functional degeneration in mouse retina, which may provide a basis for further animal studies for possible applying ZDE as a supplement to treat degenerated photoreceptor in the clinic.

Functional and structural dissection of glycosyltransferases underlying the glycodiversity of wolfberry-derived bioactive ingredients lycibarbarspermidines.

Lycibarbarspermidines are unusual phenolamide glycosides characterized by a dicaffeoylspermidine core with multiple glycosyl substitutions, and serve as a major class of bioactive ingredients in the wolfberry. So far, little is known about the enzymatic basis of the glycosylation of phenolamides including dicaffeoylspermidine. Here, we identify five lycibarbarspermidine glycosyltransferases, LbUGT1-5, which are the first phenolamide-type glycosyltransferases and catalyze regioselective glycosylation of dicaffeoylspermidines to form structurally diverse lycibarbarspermidines in wolfberry. Notably, LbUGT3 acts as a distinctive enzyme that catalyzes a tandem sugar transfer to the ortho-dihydroxy group on the caffeoyl moiety to form the unusual ortho-diglucosylated product, while LbUGT1 accurately discriminates caffeoyl and dihydrocaffeoyl groups to catalyze a site-selective sugar transfer. Crystal structure analysis of the complexes of LbUGT1 and LbUGT3 with UDP, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, revealed the structural basis of the difference in glycosylation selectivity between LbUGT1 and LbUGT3. Site-directed mutagenesis illuminates a conserved tyrosine residue (Y389 in LbUGT1 and Y390 in LbUGT3) in PSPG box that plays a crucial role in regulating the regioselectivity of LbUGT1 and LbUGT3. Our study thus sheds light on the enzymatic underpinnings of the chemical diversity of lycibarbarspermidines in wolfberry, and expands the repertoire of glycosyltransferases in nature.

Research Progress on Active Ingredients and Product Development of Lycium ruthenicum Murray.

Lycium ruthenicum Murray possesses significant applications in both food and medicine, including antioxidative, anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, and various other effects. Consequently, there has been a surge in research endeavors dedicated to exploring its potential benefits, necessitating the organization and synthesis of these findings. This article systematically reviews the extraction and content determination methods of active substances such as polysaccharides, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols in LRM in the past five years, as well as some active ingredient composition determination methods, biological activities, and product development. This review is divided into three main parts: extraction and determination methods, their bioactivity, and product development. Building upon prior research, we also delve into the economic and medicinal value of Lycium ruthenicum Murray, thereby contributing significantly to its further exploration and development. It is anticipated that this comprehensive review will serve as a valuable resource for advancing research on Lycium ruthenicum Murray.

Exploration of green preparation strategy for Lycium barbarum polysaccharide targeting Bacteroides proliferative and immune-enhancing activities and its potential use in geriatric foods.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is beneficial for elderly people, but its use is limited in geriatric foods due to the lack of comprehensive information on its preparation strategy and physical property. In this study, the low-ester rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) type pectic polysaccharide-protein complexes with varying physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, proliferative activities on Bacteroides, and immune-enhancing activities on RAW 264.7 cells, were obtained by moderate-temperature acid extraction within adjustment of enzymatic and physical pretreatments. LBP prepared by moderate-temperature acid extraction, namely S1-A, showed the strongest immune-enhancing activity via increasing the phagocytosis capacity and NO release of RAW 264.7 cells by 23 % and 76 %, respectively. S1-A exhibited relatively high viscosity and calcium ion response characteristic with the application potential for thickened liquid foods for the elderly with dysphagia. LBP prepared by composite cellulase and pectinase pretreatment combined with moderate-temperature acid extraction, namely S1-M1, showed the strongest Bacteroides proliferative activity that was equivalent to 0.60-0.97 times of that of inulin. S1-M1 exhibited extremely low viscosity and strong tolerance to food nutrients with high processing applicability for fluid foods. This study provided crucial data for the preparation and application of LBP targeting gut microbiota disorders and immunosenescence for the development of geriatric foods.

Contribution of phenolamides to the quality evaluation in Lycium spp.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Goji berry is a general term for various plant species in the genus Lycium. Goji has long been historically used in traditional Chinese medicines. Goji is a representative tonic medicine that has the effects of nourishing the liver and kidney and benefiting the essence and eyesight. It has been widely used in the treatment of various diseases, including tinnitus, impotence, spermatorrhea and blood deficiency, since ancient times. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This study aims to comprehensively summarize the quality evaluation methods of the main compounds in goji, as well as the current research status of the phenolamides in goji and their pharmacological effects, to explore the feasibility of using phenolamides as quality control markers and thus improve the quality and efficacy in goji. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant literature from PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, CNKI and other databases was comprehensively collected, screened and summarized. RESULTS: According to the collected literature, the quality evaluation markers of goji in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China are Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) and betaine. As a result of its structure complexity, only the total level of LBP can be determined, while betaine is not prominent in the pharmacological action of goji and lacks species distinctiveness. Neither of them can well explain the quality of goji. KuA and KuB are commonly used as quality evaluation markers of the Lycii cortex because of their high levels and suitable pharmacological activity. Goji is rich in polyphenols, carotenoids and alkaloids. Many studies have used the above compounds to establish quality evaluation methods but the results have not been satisfactory. Phenolamides have often been neglected in previous studies because of their low single compound levels and high separation difficulty. However, in recent years, the favorable pharmacological activities of phenolamides have been gradually recognized, and studies on goji phenolamides are greatly increasing. In addition, phenolamides have higher species distinctiveness than other compounds and can be combined with other compounds to better evaluate the quality of goji to improve its average quality. CONCLUSIONS: The phenolamides in the goji are rich and play a key role in antioxidation, anti-inflammation, neuroprotection and immunomodulation. As a result of their characteristics, it is suitable to evaluate the quality by quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker and fingerprint. This method can be combined with other techniques to improve the quality evaluation system of goji, which lays a foundation for their effectiveness and provides a reference for new quality evaluation methods of similar herbal medicines.

Incorporating Lycium barbarum residue in diet boosts survival, growth, and liver health in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus).

This research elucidates the potential of Lycium barbarum residue (LBR), a by-product rich in bioactive substances, as a dietary supplement in aquaculture, especially for herbivorous fish like grass carp. In a detailed 120-day feeding trial, the impacts of varying LBR levels on juvenile grass carp were assessed, focusing on growth performance, survival rate, biochemical markers, and liver health. The study identified a 6% inclusion rate of LBR as optimal for enhancing survival and growth while mitigating hepatic lipid accumulation. Composition analysis of this diet revealed high concentrations of polysaccharides and flavonoids. Notably, the intake of LBR was found to enhance the antioxidant and immune-related enzymatic activities in the liver. Furthermore, it contributed to a reduction in hepatic fat deposition by decreasing the levels of triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (T-CHO) both in the liver and serum. Transcriptomic analysis of the liver highlighted LBR's substantial influence on lipid metabolism pathways, including the PPAR signaling pathway, primary bile acid biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, bile secretion, fat digestion and absorption, fatty acid degradation and fatty acid biosynthesis. Further, the expression level of genes pinpointed significant downregulation of fasn and dgat2, alongside upregulation of genes like pparda, cpt1b, cpt1ab and abca1b, in response to LBR supplementation. Overall, the findings present LBR as a promising enhancer of growth and survival in grass carp, with significant benefits in promoting fat metabolism and liver health, offering valuable insights for aquacultural nutrition strategies.

Comment on "Three New Dimers and Two Monomers of Phenolic Amides from the Fruits of Lycium barbarum and Their Antioxidant Activities".

This Comment critically addresses the article by Gao et al. (Gao, K., et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2015, 63, 1067-1075), providing the structural elucidation of three phenolamide dimers (neolignanamides) from the fruits of Lycium barbarum. A more recent article published by Chen et al. (Chen, H., et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2023, 71, 11080-11093) incorporates these structures into further research on the bioactivity of these compounds. Although the analytical techniques used by Gao et al. are adequate, in our opinion, the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data have not been interpreted correctly, resulting in incorrect structures for three neolignanamides from the fruits of L. barbarum. In this Comment, an alternative interpretation of the NMR spectroscopic data and the corresponding structures are proposed. The proposed structures feature linkage types that are much more common for neolignanamides than the linkage types in the originally reported structures of these compounds.

Lycium barbarum L. Balanced intestinal flora with YAP1/FXR activation in drug-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common and severe adverse drug reaction that can result in acute liver failure. Previously, we have shown that Lycium barbarum L. (wolfberry) ameliorated liver damage in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced DILI. Nevertheless, the mechanism needs further clarification. Herein, we utilized APAP-induced DILI mice to investigate how wolfberry impacts the gut-liver axis to mitigate liver damage. We showed that the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) was decreased, and intestinal microbiota was disrupted, while the expression levels of YAP1 and FXR-mediated CYP7A1 were reduced in the liver of DILI mice. Furthermore, wolfberry increased the abundance of A. muciniphila and the number of goblet cells in the intestines, while decreasing AST, ALT, and total bile acids (TBA) levels in the serum. Interestingly, A. muciniphila promoted YAP1 and FXR expression in hepatocytes, leading to the inhibition of CYP7A1 expression and a decrease in TBA content. Notably, wolfberry did not exert the beneficial effects mentioned above after the removal of intestinal bacteria by antibiotics (ATB)-containing water. Additionally, Yap1 knockout downregulated FXR expression and enhanced CYP7A1 expression in the liver of hepatocyte-specific Yap1 knockout mice. Therefore, wolfberry stimulated YAP1/FXR activation and reduced CYP7A1 expression by promoting the balance of intestinal microbiota, thereby suppressing the overproduction of bile acids.

[Comparison on biological activities of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides extracted with five methods].

Studying the physicochemical properties and biological activities of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides(LBPs) is of great significance. The previous study had extracted LBPs(LBP-1, LBP-2, LBP-3, LBP-4, and LBP-5) by five different methods(cold water extraction, boiling water reflux extraction of the residue after cold water extraction, ultrasonic extraction with 50% ethanol, ultrasonic extraction with 25% ethanol of the residue after 50% ethanol extraction, and hot water extraction). In this study, the structures of the obtained five LBPs were characterized by UV spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the antioxidant, blood lipid-lowering, nitrosation-inhibting, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting, and tyrosinase-inhibiting activities of the five LBPs were measured in vitro. The results showed that high-temperature extraction destroyed the polysaccharide structure, while ultrasound-assisted extraction ensured the structural integrity. The thermal stability and degradation behaviors differed among the five LBPs. However, the UV spectroscopic results of the five LBPs did not show significant differences, and all of the five LBPs showed the characteristic absorption peaks of proteins. LBP-3 and LBP-4 exhibited strong antioxidant activity, while LBP-3 had the strongest blood lipid-lowering activity. In addition, LBP-3 outperformed other LBPs in inhibiting nitrosation and acetylcholineste-rase, and LBP-2 showed the strongest inhibitory effect on tyrosinase. This study explored the effects of different extraction methods on the physicochemical properties and biological activities of LBPs, with a view to providing a basis for the selection of suitable extraction methods to obtain LBPs with ideal biological activities.

Characterization of dicaffeoylspermidine derivatives related glucosyltransferases during fruit development of goji berry.

The fruit of Lycium barbarum (Lb), known as red goji berry, is a "superfruit" due to its abundance of bioactive compounds. Among these compounds, dicaffeoylspermidine derivatives (DCSPDs) have anti-oxidant and anti-Alzheimer's Disease activity. This study employed ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to investigate metabolic changes during the development and ripening stages of red goji berries. Totally 97 compounds, including 51 DCSPDs, were tentatively identified. Correlation analysis of these DCSPDs revealed that glycosyltransferases (GTs) play an important role in the formation of glycosylated DCSPDs. In vitro experiments characterized 3 novel GTs could add a glucosyl moiety to N1-caffeoyl-N10-dihydrocaffeoyl spermidine. Homologous GTs from L. ruthenicum (Lr) exhibited similar activity, despite the absence of abundant glycosylated DCSPDs in Lr. These findings provide insights into the metabolic changes and interconnections among active compounds in red goji berries. The identified GTs hold potential for metabolic engineering of DCSPDs and functional food development.

Effect of the ripening stage on the pulsed vacuum drying behavior of goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.): Ultrastructure, drying characteristics, and browning mechanism.

In current work, the effect of ripening stages (I, II, and III) on pulsed vacuum drying (PVD) behavior of goji berry was explored. The shortest drying time of goji berry was observed at stage I (6.99 h) which was 13.95 %, and 28.85 % shorter than those at stages II, and III, respectively. This phenomenon was closely associated with the ripening stage, as contributed by the initial physiochemical differences, ultrastructure alterations, and moisture distribution. In addition, lower maturity suffered more severe browning, primarily due to the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions of phenolics, followed by pigment degradation and the Maillard reaction. Additionally, the PVD process promoted the rupture and transformation of the pectin fractions, also causing browning either directly or indirectly through participation in other chemical reactions. These findings suggest that the appropriate ripening stage of goji berry should be considered as having a significant impact on drying behaviors and quality attributes.

Preparation of Lycium barbarum Active Glycopeptide and Investigation of Its Apoptotic Effects on Melanoma.

INTRODUCTION: The increasing number of studies have shown that Lycium barbarum polysaccharides possess anti-tumor effects. However, the determination of the active ingredients and their mechanism against melanoma inhibition are still unknown. METHODS: In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms of action of Lycium barbarum active glycopeptide (LBAG) on melanoma. LBAG was extracted and isolated from the fruit of Lycium barbarum using aqueous alcoholic precipitation and identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flightmass spectrometry. Various assays including cell apoptosis, cell cycle analysis, colony formation assay, cell scratch test, flow cytometry, and Western blot were performed to evaluate the effects of LBAG on melanoma. RESULTS: The results showed that LBAG has a molecular weight of 10-15 kDa and contains Man, Rha, GlcA, Glc, Gal, and Ara18 amino acids. Treatment with LBAG significantly decreased B16 cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G phase, accompanied by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Western blot analysis revealed that the phosphorylation of P38-MAPK and AKT, as well as the expression of N-acetyl-Lcysteine, were related to cell apoptosis and cell cycle regulation. In mouse xenografts, LBAG inhibited tumor growth through the P38-MAPK and AKT signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the anti-melanoma activity of LBAG may induce apoptosis in cancer cells through ROSmediated activation of the P38-MAPK and AKT signaling pathways. These findings provide a foundation for further research on the anti-melanoma potential of LBAG.

Fruit development and ripening orchestrating the biosynthesis and regulation of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in goji berry.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) are the primary bioactive components in fruits of L. barbarum, commonly known as goji berry. Despite significant progress in understanding the chemical structures and health benefits of LBPs, the biosynthesis and regulation of LBPs in goji berry remains largely unknown. In this study, physiological indicators, including LBPs, were monitored in goji berry during fruit development and ripening (FDR), suggesting that pectin might be the major component of LBPs with increased content reaching 235.8 mg/g DW. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis show that 6410 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 2052 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified with overrepresentation of flavonoids and polysaccharides-related gene ontology (GO) terms and KEGG pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) showed that LBPs coexpress with genes involved in pectin biosynthesis (LbGALS3, LbGATL5, LbQUA1, LbGAUT1/4/7, LbRGGAT1, LbRRT1/7, and LbRHM2), modification (LbSBT1.7), and regulation (LbAP2, LbGL2 LbTLP2, LbERF4, and LbTTG2), as well as with novel transcription factors (LbSPL9 and LbRIN homologs) and glycosyltransferases. Transgenic hairy roots overexpressing LbRIN validated that LbRIN modulate the expression of WGCNA-predicted regulators, including LbERF4, LbTTG2, and LbSPL9. These findings suggest that the biosynthesis and regulation of LBPs is conserved partially to those in Arabidopsis pectin. Taken together, this study provides valuable insights into the biosynthesis and regulation of LBPs, which can facilitate future studies on synthetic biology applications and genetic improvement of LBPs.

Separation of polysaccharides from Lycium barbarum L. by high-speed countercurrent chromatography with aqueous two-phase system.

The traditional method for isolation and purification of polysaccharides is time-consuming. It often involves toxic solvents that destroy the function and structure of the polysaccharides, thus limiting in-depth research on the essential active ingredient of Lycium barbarum L. Therefore, in this study, high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) were combined for the separation of crude polysaccharides of Lycium barbarum L. (LBPs). Under the optimized HSCCC conditions of PEG1000-K2HPO4-KH2PO4-H2O (12:10:10:68, w/w), 1.0 g of LBPs-ILs was successfully divided into three fractions (126.0 mg of LBPs-ILs-1, 109.9 mg of LBPs-ILs-2, and 65.4 mg of LBPs-ILs-3). Moreover, ATPS was confirmed as an efficient alternative method of pigment removal for LBPs purification, with significantly better decolorization (97.1 %) than the traditional H2O2 method (88.5 %). Then, the different partitioning behavior of LBPs-ILs in the two-phase system of HSCCC was preliminarily explored, which may be related to the difference in monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides. LBPs-ILs-1 exhibited better hypoglycemic activities than LBPs-ILs-2 and LBPs-ILs-3 in vitro. Therefore, HSCCC, combined with aqueous two-phase system, was an efficient separation and purification method with great potential for separating and purifying active polysaccharides in biological samples.

Exploring the mechanism of Lycium barbarum fruit cell wall polysaccharide remodeling reveals potential pectin accumulation contributors.

The level of polysaccharides in the mature Lycium barbarum fruit (LBF) cell wall depends on their metabolism, trafficking, and reassembly within the cell. In this study, we examined the composition, content, and ultrastructure of the cell wall polysaccharides of LBF during maturation, and further analyzed cell wall polysaccharide remodeling using isotope tagging with relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based proteomics. The results showed that the contents of cellulose and hemicellulose tended to increase in the pre-maturation stage and decrease in the later stage, while pectin level increased before fruit maturing. The differential expression of the 54 proteins involved in the metabolic pathways for glucose, fructose, galactose, galacturonic acid and arabinose was found to be responsible for these alterations. The work provides a biological framework for the reorganization of polysaccharides in the LBF cell wall, and supports the hypothesis that pectic polysaccharide glycosyl donors come from starch, cellulose, hemicellulose and isomorphic pectin.

iTRAQ-based proteomics identifies proteins associated with betaine accumulation in Lycium barbarum L.

In order to better understand the mechanism of betaine accumulation in Lycium barbarum L. (LBL), we used iTRAQ (Isotope relative and absolute quantitative labeling) proteomics to screen and identify differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) at five stages (S1-young fruit stage, S2-green fruit stage, S3-early yellowing stage, S4-late yellowing stage, S5-ripening stage). A total of 1799 DAPs and 171 betaine-related DAPs were identified, and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (NMT), choline monooxygenase (CMO), and betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) were found to be the key enzymes related to betaine metabolism. These proteins are mainly involved in carbohydrates, amino acids and their derivatives, fatty acids, carboxylic acids, photosynthesis and photoprotection, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, peroxisomes, and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. Three of the key enzymes were also up- and down-regulated to different degrees at the mRNA level. The study provide new insights into the of mechanism of betaine accumulation in LBL. SIGNIFICANCE: Betaine, a class of naturally occurring, water-soluble alkaloids, has been found to be widespread in animals, higher plants, and microbes. In addition to being an osmotic agent, betaine has biological functions such as hepatoprotection, neuroprotection, and antioxidant activity. Betaine metabolism (synthesis and catabolism) is complexly regulated by developmental and environmental signals throughout the life cycle of plant fruit maturation. As a betaine-accumulating plant, little has been reported about the regulatory mechanisms of betaine metabolism during the growth and development of Lycium barbarum L. (LBL) fruit. Therefore, this study used iTRAQ quantitative proteomics technology to investigate the abundance changes of betaine-related proteins in LBL fruit, screen and analyze the differential abundance proteins related to betaine metabolism, and provide theoretical references for the in-depth study of the mechanism of betaine metabolism in LBL fruit.

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.

Combined Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analysis Reveals the Effect of Selenium Fertilization on Lycium barbarum Fruit.

As a beneficial nutrient and essential trace element, selenium plays a significant role in plant growth functions and human protein biosynthesis. Plant selenium enrichment is mainly obtained from both natural soil and exogenous selenium supplementation, while human beings consume selenium-enriched foods for the purposes of selenium supplementation. In this study, different types of selenium fertilizers were sprayed onto Lycium barbarum in Ningxia, and transcriptomics and metabolomics techniques were used to explore the effects of selenium on the fruit differentials and differential genes in Lycium barbarum. Taking the "Ning Qiyi No.1" wolfberry as the research object, sodium selenite, nano-selenium, and organic selenium were sprayed at a concentration of 100 mg·L-1 three times from the first fruiting period to the harvesting period, with a control treatment comprising the spraying of clear water. We determined the major metabolites and differential genes of the amino acids and derivatives, flavonoids, and alkaloids in ripe wolfberries. We found that spraying selenium significantly enhanced the Lycium barbarum metabolic differentiators; the most effective spray was the organic selenium, with 129 major metabolic differentiators and 10 common metabolic pathways screened after spraying. Nano-selenium was the next best fertilizer we screened, with 111 major metabolic differentiators, the same number as organic selenium in terms of differential genes and common metabolite pathways. Sodium selenite was the least effective of the three, with only 59 of its major metabolic differentials screened, but its differential genes and metabolites were enriched for five common pathways.

Lycium barbarum glycopeptide alleviates neuroinflammation in spinal cord injury via modulating docosahexaenoic acid to inhibiting MAPKs/NF-kB and pyroptosis pathways.

BACKGROUND: Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is an active ingredient extracted from Lycium barbarum that inhibits neuroinflammation, and Lycium barbarum glycopeptide (LbGp) is a glycoprotein with immunological activity that was purified and isolated from LBP. Previous studies have shown that LbGp can regulate the immune microenvironment, but its specific mechanism of action remains unclear. AIMS: In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism of action of LbGp in the treatment of spinal cord injury through metabolomics and molecular experiments. METHODS: SD male rats were randomly assigned to three experimental groups, and after establishing the spinal cord hemisection model, LbGp was administered orally. Spinal cord tissue was sampled on the seventh day after surgery for molecular and metabolomic experiments. In vitro, LbGp was administered to mimic the inflammatory microenvironment by activating microglia, and its mechanism of action in suppressing neuroinflammation was further elaborated using metabolomics and molecular biology techniques such as western blotting and q-PCR. RESULTS: In vivo and in vitro experiments found that LbGp can improve the inflammatory microenvironment by inhibiting the NF-kB and pyroptosis pathways. Furthermore, LbGp induced the secretion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by microglia, and DHA inhibited neuroinflammation through the MAPK/NF-κB and pyroptosis pathways. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we hypothesize that LbGp improves the inflammatory microenvironment by regulating the secretion of DHA by microglia and thereby inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB and pyroptosis pathways and promoting nerve repair and motor function recovery. This study provides a new direction for the treatment of spinal cord injury and elucidates the potential mechanism of action of LbGp.