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Wolfberry Improves Vision: A Rich Source of Beta-carotene
Chinese people have been using wolfberry to prevent vision degeneration or treat mild blurry vision for more than one thousand years. Traditional doctors commonly used wolfberry in herbal formulas. However, wolfberry’s benefit to our eyes remained a mystery until modern science discovered that wolfberry fruit contained substantial amounts of pro-vitamin A: beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin. Beta-carotene has received most of the attention because Beta-carotene generates vitamin A much more efficient than alpha-carotene. Rich Nature Laboratories’ dried berry contains more than 28,000 IU/100g beta-carotene and Rich Nature concentrated powder, W-LBP, contains 58,000-60,000 IU/100g beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is now believed that has many health functions on human body (see Table 1).
Table 1: Benefits from Beta carotene in Wolfberry
|
|
Beta-carotene
(IU/100g) |
Beneficial Effects of Beta-carotene |
|
Rich NatureTM Wolfberry
Rich NatureTM W-LBP |
28,100
( Beta-carotene)
58,100 -60,000
( Beta-carotene)
|
1. Best known for improving visual system: provide necessary nutrient for retina
2. Antioxidant activity: carotene exerts significant antioxidant activity compare to that of vitamin A. The antioxidant activity of carotene is probably the factor responsible for the anticancer effects noted in population study.
3. Anti-aging: Carotenoid content of tissue is the most significant factor in determining maximal life span potential (MLSP) of mammalian species. For example, human MLSP of approximately 90 years correlates with a serum carotene level of 50 to 300 micrograms per deciliter while other primates, such as the rhesus monkey, have a MLSP of approximately 34 years correlating with a serum carotene level of 6 to 12 micrograms per deciliter.
4. Immune system: Beta-carotene appears to enhance thymus gland function and increase interferon’s stimulatory action on the immune system. Interferon is a powerful immune-enhancing compound that plays a central role in protection against viral infection
5. Reproduction: Beta-carotene has a specific effort in fertility distinct from its role as a precursor to vitamin A. The carotene cleavage activity changes with the ovulation cycle, with the highest activity occurring during the midovulation stage
6. Best known for improving visual system: provide necessary nutrient for retina.
7. Antioxidant activity: carotene exerts significant antioxidant |
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Reference:
1. Murray, Michael T, Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Prima. 1996. P19-29.
2. Zongshao Qi, Shufang Le, Jiping Wu, Rong Qu, Yufang Yang, Lijuan Zhang, Xiaoping Yang. Chemical Analysis of Wolfberry fruit and leaves. Chinese Herb News. 1986, Vol.11 (3): P41-43.
Wolfberry contains 18 types of amino acids which includes all eight essential amino acids:
Amino-acids |
Amount (mg/100mg) |
Health Benefits |
|
Aspartic acid |
1.55 |
Wolfberry contains 18 out of 20 amino acids, which serve as a building block of proteins. Proteins are now recognized as the predominant ingredients of cells. The 20 standard amino acids also serve as raw materials for the manufacture of many other cellular products, such as enzymes, hormones, antibodies of immune system. Several of these amino acids are key intermediates in cellular metabolism.
Wolfberry has all 8 essential amino acids.
Human needs the essential amino acids to function but human body cannot produce them. The essential amino acids must obtain from food.
|
|
Threonine |
0.37 |
|
Serine |
0.47 |
|
Glutamic acid |
1.23 |
|
Glycine |
0.34 |
|
Alanine |
0.43 |
|
Cystine |
0.11 |
|
Valine |
0.37 |
|
Methionine |
0.10 |
|
Isoleucine |
0.29 |
|
Leucine |
0.45 |
|
Tyrosine |
0.15 |
|
phenylalanine |
0.26 |
|
Lysine |
0.31 |
|
Ammonia |
0.38 |
|
Histidine |
0.15 |
|
Arginine |
0.94 |
|
Tryptophan |
0.10 |
|
Proline |
1.08 |
|
Total: |
9.14 |
More than 50% of the amino acids in Rich NatureTM Wolfberry are free amino acids or Water-soluble amino acids, which can be directly utilized by the body.
Amino Acid |
Free Amino Acid |
Water Soluble Amino Acid |
Total |
|
Aspartic acid |
1.21 |
0.40 |
1.76 |
|
Threonine |
0.07 |
0.07 |
0.29 |
|
Serine |
0.14 |
0.11 |
0.43 |
|
Glutamic acid |
0.63 |
0.28 |
1.27 |
|
Glycine |
0.04 |
0.03 |
0.19 |
|
Alanine |
0.37 |
0.18 |
0.64 |
|
Valine |
0.05 |
0.05 |
0.26 |
|
Methionine |
¾ |
¾ |
0.04 |
|
Isoleucine |
0.04 |
0.04 |
0.20 |
|
Leucine |
0.09 |
0.03 |
0.30 |
|
Tyrosine |
0.05 |
¾ |
0.16 |
|
Phenylalanine |
0.06 |
0.02 |
0.16 |
|
Lysine |
0.02 |
0.02 |
0.16 |
|
Ammonia |
0.30 |
0.07 |
0.58 |
|
Histidine |
0.04 |
0.02 |
0.10 |
|
Arginine |
0.19 |
0.09 |
0.45 |
|
Proline |
0.65 |
0.13 |
0.91 |
|
Total Amount: |
3.95 |
1.54 |
7.90 |
|
Total (%): |
50 |
19 |
100 |
Reference:
Meng Xiezhong, Hu Xiangxun, Zhang Guilan. Chemical Analysis on Lycium Barbarum Fruit and Leaves. Chinese Herb News. 1987, Vol.12 (5): 42-44.
Anti-Mutation from Wolfberry- China Studies:
Mutation is the process whereby changes occur in the quantity or structure of the genetic material of an organism. Mutations are permanent alterations in the genetic material, which may lead to changes in phenotype, or in other words, it may lead to abnormal cell types, including tumors. Two in vitro studies have shown that the active ingredient, wolfberry polysaccharides inhibit mutation.
The Ames test done by Chinese scientists has demonstrated polysaccharides inhibit 2-AF induced TA100 mutation. An increase in inhibition was observed when the dosage of polysaccharides was increased (Figure 1). Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBP) does not inhibit the mutation induced by B (a) P.
Figure 1: Ames test on LBP
|
Group |
Polysaccharides dosage
(ug/plate) |
S9 |
B (a) P
(ug/plate) |
2-AF
(ug/plate) |
TA98 |
TA100 |
|
Spontaneous process |
|
+
-
|
|
|
46
29 |
144
159
|
|
Positive control |
|
+
-
|
10 |
10
|
71
5460 |
314
3514
|
|
B (a) P group |
1
10
100
1000
10000 |
+
+
+
+
+
|
10
10
10
10
10
|
|
62
62
59
53
52 |
219
304
347
354
336 |
|
2-AF group |
1
10
100
1000
10000
|
+
+
+
+
+
|
|
10
10
10
10
10
|
4975
5613
5968
5613
1674
|
3276
3556
2968
1658
770
|
Another study done by Chinese scientists had shown that polysaccharides reduce the SCE (sister chromatic exchange) induced by MMC (MMC is chemical drug for tumor cells, and also a known agent damaging chromosome). Sister chromatid is a pair of genetically identical pieces of double-stranded DNA and associated proteins, produced by DNA replication of a eukaryotic chromosome. SCE is a common indicator of gene mutation. In this in vitro study, scientists added MMC in lymph cells to induce SCE. SCE increases to 33.17/cell after adding MMC to the cell (Table 2). After applying LBP to the cell, SCE is reduced in proportion with the dosage of polysaccharides (Table 2).
Table 2:
|
Group |
MMC
(ug) |
LBP Dosage |
SCES
(`x ± SD) |
| |
