Lycium Fructus, Gou Qi Zi 枸杞子

‘Goji’; Chinese Wolfberry
Gou Qi Zi (TCM)
Chirchita (Ayurveda)
‘Dre tsher ma འདྲེ་ཚེར་མ་ (Tibet)
Picture Lycium barbarum
Duhamel du Monceau, Traité des arbres et arbustes, Nouvelle édition 1800-1803

Picture Lycium Gou Qi (Adam, 2017)

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Botanical name:


Lycium chinense, L. barbarum.
There are a number of Lycium species that supply the market.

Parts used:


Fruit

Temperature & Taste:


Neutral, slightly Moist. Sweet

Uses:


1. Nourishes Kidney and Liver Yin: (TCM, Tibet)
-weakness and aching of the Lower Back and Legs
-Impotence, Spermatorrhea
-Diabetes-like disorders, Consumption
-Anemia
-used in formulas for Female diseases (TCM, Tibet)

2. Strengthens the Eyes: (TCM, Tibet)
-Poor Eyesight, Blurry Vision, Night-blindness

3. Benefits the Essence: (TCM, Tibet)
-Chronic Fatigue from Essence deficiency, premature Aging
-dullness of Mind and Spirit; Dizziness, Tinnitus
-it nourishes Yin and Blood while also helping nourish Yang and Essence when combined with suitable herbs.

4. Nourishes Lungs:
-chronic Cough, Consumption

Dose:


Decoction: 6–12 grams.
Often added to flower teas and soups in China.

Comment:


The root-bark of this plant is also used medicinally (see Lycium Cortex, Di Gu Pi)
Picture

Main Combinations:


Lycium Gou Qi Zi and Chrysanthemum Ju Hua
This combination clears Heat from the Liver while simultaneously nourishing Liver Yin and Blood. It is useful to strengthen the Eyesight, as well as for Headache, Tinnitus and Deafness.
  It is also taken as a tea by young women to keep the skin healthy and clean.

1. To strengthen the Vision, Blurred Vision, failing Eyesight:
i. Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
ii. Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
iii. chronic conditions with deficiency, … available in PRO version
2. To nourish Kidney and Liver Yin, Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
-to Warm and strengthen the Yang, add … available in PRO version
-add … available in PRO version
-Infertility, anovulation, chronic anemia, add … available in PRO version
-to more strongly nourish Yin and Essence, with … available in PRO version
3. Lower Back and Leg pain and weakness from deficiency:
i. Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
ii. Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
4. Consumptive Cough, Lung Yin deficiency:
i. Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
ii. Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
5. Overexertion and Weakness of Yin, Lycium Gou Qi Zi with … available in PRO version
6. To support during Chemotherapy: … available in PRO version

Major Formulas:


Bu Shen Gu Chong Wan
Da Ying Jian
Gui Lu Er Xian Jiao
Jing Qian Fang
Nuan Gan Jian
Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan
Qi Ju Di Huang Wan
Yi Guan Wan
You Gui Wan
You Gui Yin
Zuo Gui Wan
Zuo Gui Yin

There are many food and tea recipes using Goji in China too:
1. Goji and Chrysanthemum tea, good for the skin, to prevent ageing and help the Liver.
2. Goji and Walnut Congee, to strengthen Kidneys, and for Winter
3. Goji and Lamb, a warming tonic recipe for Winter
4. Mushroom and Goji stir-fry
5. Goji and Corn Soup
6. Tonic Chicken Soup with Goji, Red Dates (Da Zao), Codonopsis Dang Shen and Dang Gui, a Blood and Qi tonic.
7. Cook Cordyceps with Duck, Chicken or Pork and Astragalus Huang Qi, Angelica Dang Gui and Lycium Gou Qi Zi.

Cautions:


1. Not used in Spleen deficiency with Dampness and Diarrhea
2. In Ayurveda, the Fruit and Root-bark are prohibited in Bleeding disorders.

Main Preparations used:



  • Extra Info
  • Research
1. ANTI-MICROBIAL:
–[Antimicrobial and anti-tumor activities of endophytes from Lycium barbarum of Ningxia].
–Polyphenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Lycium barbarum L. and Lycium chinense Mill. leaves.

2. ANTI-OXIDANT:
–Lycium europaeum Extract: A New Potential Antioxidant Source against Cisplatin-Induced Liver and Kidney Injuries in Mice.
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides protect human trophoblast HTR8/SVneo cells from hydrogen peroxide‑induced oxidative stress and apoptosis.
–Antioxidant effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on photoreceptor degeneration in the light-exposed mouse retina.
–Optimization of the extraction of bioactive molecules from Lycium barbarum fruits and evaluation of the antioxidant activity: a combined study.
–Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of Lycium barbarum (Goji) cultivated in Greece.
–Comparison and Characterization of Compounds with Antioxidant Activity in Lycium barbarum Using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography Coupled with DPPH Bioautography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
–The Anti-Oxidant and Antitumor Properties of Plant Polysaccharides.
–Polyphenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Lycium barbarum L. and Lycium chinense Mill. leaves.

3. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Anti-inflammatory effect of Lycii radicis in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

4. IMMUNOSTIMULANT:
–Polysaccharides from Chinese Herbal Lycium barbarum Induced Systemic and Local Immune Responses in H22 Tumor-Bearing Mice.
–The immunological activity of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides liposome in vitro and adjuvanticity against PCV2 in vivo.

5. NEUROPROTECTIVE:
–Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Supplementation Improves Alcoholic Liver Injury in Female Mice by Inhibiting Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1.
–Investigation of the neuroprotective effects of Lycium barbarum water extract in apoptotic cells and Alzheimer’s disease mice.
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharide protects against neurotoxicity via the Nrf2-HO-1 pathway.
–Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides Against Ischemic Insults by Regulating NR2B and NR2A Containing NMDA Receptor Signaling Pathways.
–Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides Decrease Hyperglycemia-Aggravated Ischemic Brain Injury through Maintaining Mitochondrial Fission and Fusion Balance.
–Neuroprotective Effects of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide on Focal Cerebral Ischemic Injury in Mice.
–Neuro-protective Mechanisms of Lycium barbarum.
–Neuroprotective mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides against hippocampal-dependent spatial memory deficits in a rat model of obstructive sleep apnea.

6. PROMOTES DOPAMINE FUNCTION:
–Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Promotes Nigrostriatal Dopamine Function by Modulating PTEN/AKT/mTOR Pathway in a Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) Murine Model of Parkinson’s Disease.

7. BENEFITS IN PARKINSON’S:
–Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Promotes Nigrostriatal Dopamine Function by Modulating PTEN/AKT/mTOR Pathway in a Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) Murine Model of Parkinson’s Disease.
–The potential role of herbal products in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

8. RETINA/EYE PROTECTIVE (animal model):
–Antioxidant effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on photoreceptor degeneration in the light-exposed mouse retina.
–Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides Protect Retina in rd1 Mice During Photoreceptor Degeneration.
–Effects of Lycium barbarum on the Visual System.
–Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides Protect Rat Corneal Epithelial Cells against Ultraviolet B-Induced Apoptosis by Attenuating the Mitochondrial Pathway and Inhibiting JNK Phosphorylation.
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharide extracts preserve retinal function and attenuate inner retinal neuronal damage in a mouse model of transient retinal ischaemia.
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides promotes in vivo proliferation of adult rat retinal progenitor cells.
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides protected human retinal pigment epithelial cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.
–[Effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on the retinal ultrastructure of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats].

9. HYPOLIPIDAEMIC EFFECT:
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides: Extraction, purification, structural characterisation and evidence about hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects. A review.
 10. HEPATOPROTECTIVE:
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides improve hepatic injury through NFkappa-B and NLRP3/6 pathways in a methionine choline deficient diet steatohepatitis mouse model.
–Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Supplementation Improves Alcoholic Liver Injury in Female Mice by Inhibiting Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1.
–Lycium barbarum extract provides effective protection against paracetamol-induced acute hepatotoxicity in rats.

11. RENO-PROTECTIVE:
–Protective effects of fraction 4a of polysaccharides isolated from Lycium barbarum against KBrO3-induced renal damage in rats.

12. TESTICULAR-PROTECTIVE EFFECT:
–Protective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in male mice.

13. SPERMATOGENESIS:
–Protective effect of polysaccharides from Lycium barbarum on spermatogenesis of mice with impaired reproduction system induced by cyclophosphamide.
–The effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on the male rats׳ reproductive system and spermatogenic cell apoptosis exposed to low-dose ionizing irradiation.
–Protective Effects of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides on Testis Spermatogenic Injury Induced by Bisphenol A in Mice.

14. PROTECTS FROM CHEMOTHERAPY DAMAGE & ENHANCES CHEMOTHERAPY (animal model):
–Lycium europaeum Extract: A New Potential Antioxidant Source against Cisplatin-Induced Liver and Kidney Injuries in Mice.
–Fraction From Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides Reduces Immunotoxicity and Enhances Antitumor Activity of Doxorubicin in Mice.

15. ANTI-TUMOR:
–[Antimicrobial and anti-tumor activities of endophytes from Lycium barbarum of Ningxia].
–The Anti-Oxidant and Antitumor Properties of Plant Polysaccharides.

16. ANTI-CANCER:
BREAST CANCER:
–Inhibitory effects of Chinese nutritional herbs in isogenic breast carcinoma cells with modulated estrogen receptor function.
–Anticancer effect of ethanol Lycium barbarum (Goji berry) extract on human breast cancer T47D cell line.
BLADDER CANCER:
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides inhibit proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cell lines BIU87 by suppressing Pi3K/AKT pathway.
LIVER CANCER:
–In Vitro Protective Effects of Lycium barbarum Berries Cultivated in Umbria (Italy) on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.
–Composition of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides and their apoptosis-inducing effect on human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells.

17. ANTI-DIABETIC / HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECT:
–Effects of Lycium barbarum. polysaccharide on type 2 diabetes mellitus rats by regulating biological rhythms.
–Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Mediated the Antidiabetic and Antinephritic Effects in Diet-Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Sprague Dawley Rats via Regulation of NF-κB.
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides: Extraction, purification, structural characterisation and evidence about hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects. A review.
–Biochemical analysis and hypoglycemic activity of a polysaccharide isolated from the fruit of Lycium barbarum L.
–Practical Application of Antidiabetic Efficacy of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

18. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY (animal model):
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharide protects diabetic peripheral neuropathy by enhancing autophagy via mTOR/p70S6K inhibition in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

19. DIABETIC RETINOPATHY:
–Chinese herbal drugs for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.
–[Effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on the retinal ultrastructure of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats].

20. DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY:
–Lycium barbarum polysaccharides ameliorates renal injury and inflammatory reaction in alloxan-induced diabetic nephropathy rabbits.

21. ANTI-HYPERTENSIVE:
–Anti-hypertensive effect of Lycium barbarum L. with down-regulated expression of renal endothelial lncRNA sONE in a rat model of salt-sensitive hypertension.

22. METABOLIC SYNDROME:
–Lycium barbarum Reduces Abdominal Fat and Improves Lipid Profile and Antioxidant Status in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

23. ANTI-AGING:
–Lycium Barbarum: A Traditional Chinese Herb and A Promising Anti-Aging Agent.