Cheng Jiang, Zhou Zhi-Wei, Sheng Hui-Ping, He Lan-Jie, Fan Xue-Wen, He Zhi-Xu, Sun Tao, Zhang Xueji, Zhao Ruan Jin, Gu Ling, Cao Chuanhai, Zhou Shu-Feng
Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People's Republic of China ; Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Drug Des Devel Ther. 2014 Dec 17;9:33-78. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S72892. eCollection 2015.
Lycium barbarum berries, also named wolfberry, Fructus lycii, and Goji berries, have been used in the People's Republic of China and other Asian countries for more than 2,000 years as a traditional medicinal herb and food supplement. L. barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) are the primary active components of L. barbarum berries and have been reported to possess a wide array of pharmacological activities. Herein, we update our knowledge on the main pharmacological activities and possible molecular targets of LBPs. Several clinical studies in healthy subjects show that consumption of wolfberry juice improves general wellbeing and immune functions. LBPs are reported to have antioxidative and antiaging properties in different models. LBPs show antitumor activities against various types of cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth in nude mice through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. LBPs may potentiate the efficacy of lymphokine activated killer/interleukin-2 combination therapy in cancer patients. LBPs exhibit significant hypoglycemic effects and insulin-sensitizing activity by increasing glucose metabolism and insulin secretion and promoting pancreatic β-cell proliferation. They protect retinal ganglion cells in experimental models of glaucoma. LBPs protect the liver from injuries due to exposure to toxic chemicals or other insults. They also show potent immunoenhancing activities in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, LBPs protect against neuronal injury and loss induced by β-amyloid peptide, glutamate excitotoxicity, ischemic/reperfusion, and other neurotoxic insults. LBPs ameliorate the symptoms of mice with Alzheimer's disease and enhance neurogenesis in the hippocampus and subventricular zone, improving learning and memory abilities. They reduce irradiation- or chemotherapy-induced organ toxicities. LBPs are beneficial to male reproduction by increasing the quality, quantity, and motility of sperm, improving sexual performance, and protecting the testis against toxic insults. Moreover, LBPs exhibit hypolipidemic, cardioprotective, antiviral, and antiinflammatory activities. There is increasing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies supporting the therapeutic and health-promoting effects of LBPs, but further mechanistic and clinical studies are warranted to establish the dose-response relationships and safety profiles of LBPs.
枸杞浆果，也被称为枸杞、枸杞子和枸杞果，在中华人民共和国及其他亚洲国家作为传统草药和食品补充剂已使用了2000多年。枸杞多糖（LBPs）是枸杞浆果的主要活性成分，据报道具有广泛的药理活性。在此，我们更新了关于LBPs主要药理活性和可能分子靶点的知识。在健康受试者中进行的多项临床研究表明，饮用枸杞汁可改善总体健康状况和免疫功能。据报道，LBPs在不同模型中具有抗氧化和抗衰老特性。LBPs对多种类型的癌细胞具有抗肿瘤活性，并通过诱导凋亡和细胞周期停滞抑制裸鼠肿瘤生长。LBPs可能增强癌症患者中淋巴因子激活的杀伤细胞/白细胞介素-2联合疗法的疗效。LBPs通过增加葡萄糖代谢和胰岛素分泌以及促进胰腺β细胞增殖，表现出显著的降血糖作用和胰岛素增敏活性。它们在青光眼实验模型中保护视网膜神经节细胞。LBPs保护肝脏免受接触有毒化学物质或其他损伤的伤害。它们在体外和体内也表现出强大的免疫增强活性。此外，LBPs可保护免受β-淀粉样肽、谷氨酸兴奋性毒性、缺血/再灌注及其他神经毒性损伤诱导的神经元损伤和丢失。LBPs改善阿尔茨海默病小鼠的症状，增强海马体和脑室下区的神经发生，提高学习和记忆能力。它们减少辐射或化疗引起的器官毒性。LBPs通过提高精子的质量、数量和活力，改善性功能，并保护睾丸免受毒性损伤，对男性生殖有益。此外，LBPs还具有降血脂、心脏保护、抗病毒和抗炎活性。临床前和临床研究越来越多的证据支持LBPs的治疗和健康促进作用，但仍需要进一步的机制和临床研究来确定LBPs的剂量反应关系和安全性。
