Black goji as a potential source of natural color in a wide pH range.[Pubmed: 30100454]

Lycium ruthenicum Murr. is a traditional Chinese herb widely distributed in Tibet. The fruit, known as black goji, is popular in traditional Chinese medicine. The objective of this study was to investigate its anthocyanin profile (by HPLC coupled to PDA and MS detectors) and the colorimetric and spectrophotometric properties. Black goji extracts contained abundant petunidin derivatives, with cis and trans isomers of petunidin-3-p-coumaroyl-rutinoside-5-glucoside. The colorimetric and spectrophotometric traits of black goji anthocyanins were significantly impacted by solid-phase-extraction, pH, and acylation. MCX cartridge removed considerable polyphenolics from fruit extracts, but attenuated the saturation of color expression. Petunidin-3-trans-p-coumaroyl-rutinoside-5-glucoside contributed most of the color expression of the black goji extract, and showed superior stability compared to other extracts over time. Acylation strengthened the petunidin derivatives color retention, and enhanced the color intensity and stability. Black goji anthocyanins produced various vivid hues over wide ranges of pH, making them promising candidates for natural colorants.

Rapid qualitative and quantitative analyses of eighteen phenolic compounds from Lycium ruthenicum Murray by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS and their antioxidant activity.[Pubmed: 30100417]

Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LR) is a functional food, and it has long been used in traditional folk medicine. However, detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses related to its phenolic compounds remains scarce. This work reports, for the first time, the establishment of a rapid method for simultaneous identification and quantification of 25 phenolic compounds by UPLC-quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS). This method was validated by LODs, LOQs, precision, repeatability, stability, mean recovery, recovery range and RSD. The confirmed method was applied to the analysis of phenolic compounds in LR. Finally, 18 phenolic compounds in LR were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Among them, 11 constituents were detected for the first time, which included two flavonoids (catechin and naringenin) and seven phenolic acids (gallic acid, vanillic acid, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, veratronic acid, benzoic acid, ellagic acid and salicylic acid). Moreover, Phloretin and protocatechuate, belonging to the dihydrochalcone flavonoid and protocatechuic acid respectively, were also identified and quantified. The total phenolics content (20.17 ± 2.82 mg/g) and the total anthocyanin content (147.43 ± 1.81 mg/g) were determined. In addition, the antioxidant activities of the LR extract were evaluated through 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant activity (T-AOC) assays.

Inter-species developmental differences in metabonomic phenotypes of Lycium ruthenicum and L. barbarum fruits.[Pubmed: 30085679]

Fruits of Lycium ruthenicum (LR) and L. barbarum (LB) in Solanaceae family contain abundant bioactive metabolites used widely as functional food and natural medicine. To characterize the fruit developmental molecular phenotypes, we comprehensively analyzed metabolite composition of both Lycium fruits at three developmental stages using the combined NMR, LC-MS/MS and GC-FID/MS methods. The metabonomes of these fruits were dominated by over 90 metabolites including sugars, amino acids, TCA cycle intermediates, fatty acids, choline metabolites and shikimate-mediated plant secondary metabolites. Metabolic phenotypes of two species differed significantly at all three developmental stages; LB fruits contain significantly more sugars and amino acids but less TCA cycle intermediates, fatty acids and secondary metabolites than LR. Interspecies differences for fatty acid levels were much greater after color-breaking than pre-color-breaking. Furthermore, LR fruits contained more osmolytes than LB fruits indicating different osmoregulation requirements for these fruits during development. Significant differences were also present in biosynthesis of shikimate-mediated plant secondary metabolites in LR and LB. These findings provided essential metabolic information for plant physiology of these Lycium species and their utilizations and demonstrating the usefulness of this metabonomic phenotyping approach for studying fundamental biochemistry of the plant development.

Structural features of an acidic polysaccharide with the potential of promoting osteoblast differentiation from Lycium ruthenicum Murr.[Pubmed: 29553828]

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Subcritical water extraction, UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS analysis and antioxidant activity of anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murr.[Pubmed: 29407914]

In this work, it has been developed an efficient method for extraction of anthocyanin from Lycium ruthenicum Murr. and the antioxidative activities research. Subcritical water extraction was investigated as a green technology for the extraction of anthocyanin from L. ruthenicum. Several key parameters affecting extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) combined with Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimum extraction conditions and the desirability of model were the time of extraction = 55 min and the flow rate was 3 mL/min at 170 °C. At this operating condition, the content of anthocyanin was high to 26.33%. Subcritical water extraction was more efficient than using hot water or methyl alcohol for the extraction of anthocyanin. The composition of anthocyanins from L. ruthenicum has been investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Triple-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS). Seven anthocyanins have been detected, all of which were identified and quantified. Furthermore, the anthocyanins extracted by SWE showed significantly better antioxidant activity than the anthocyanins extracted by hot water or methyl alcohol according to DPPH and ABTS assay. SWE with significantly higher anthocyanin and antioxidant activity were achieved compared to conventional methods.

[Survey and protective utilization of Lycium ruthenicum resources distributed in middle and lower reaches of Heihe river].[Pubmed: 29318845]

This study was aimed to investigate the qualitative and quantitative distributions of Lycium ruthenicum resources in the middle and lower reaches of Heihe River, for providing scientific evidence for the protective utilization of the resources in the corresponding geographic region. The outdoor sample plot and quadrat survey, literature search, sample collection, in-house identification and classification were performed by route surveying and visiting to the local natives and/or herb farmers based on the current distribution data of the L. ruthenicum resources in the middle and lower reaches of Heihe River. The distributive pattern of the resources was analyzed using ArcGIS program. The data regarding the category/distributed area and the genetic resources of the L. ruthenicum were collected. The data collected in this study may provide the scientific evidence for the protective utilization of the L. ruthenicum resources in the corresponding geographic region, allowing for the avoidance of the ecological environment from being damaged by improper utilization.

Isolation and characterization of a salt stress-responsive betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase in Lycium ruthenicum Murr.[Pubmed: 29297198]

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Comparison and multivariate statistical analysis of anthocyanin composition in Lycium ruthenicum Murray from different regions to trace geographical origins: The case of China.[Pubmed: 29291844]

Anthocyanin composition in forty-five Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LRM) samples grown in China was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) and quantified by HPLC with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The results showed that the overall pattern of anthocyanin composition of LRM from different provinces was the same, while the individual and total anthocyanin concentrations, were significantly different, indicating an important impact of geographical origin on anthocyanin composition, which can be considered as credible indices for LRM classification. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were applied to develop discrimination models for the anthocyanin concentrations. PCA clearly separated the LRM based on its geographical origins. LDA satisfactorily categorized the samples by providing a 100% success rate based on geographical origins. The results obtained could be used to trace the geographical origin of LRM.